Dead Man's Chest
by shadowglove
Summary: Sequel to Curse of the Black Pearl, and A Tail of the Sea. A year has passed since Chloe started her life on the small, remote island, where she's managed to build a happy life for herself. But she has a debt to pay, and when old friends come a'knocking she finds out who The Voice is, and what she must do to be free.
1. A Year Later

Disclaimer: Don't own

Sequel to: A Tail of the Sea

 **Warning PLEASE READ: Time has passed since A Tail of the Sea. Chloe genuinely believed Will when he told her he didn't want to be with her anymore. She has moved on. If you don't like that idea, then DO NOT READ! It'll be really immature to read and then complain about her 'being a whore' because she didn't pull a "Bella" and spent the whole time pining after Will, or something, so please don't!**

* * *

It'd been a year since Chloe had come to live in this small island, a year since she'd sent out the first letter to her family, and six months since she'd sent her last one. Obviously they were extremely mad or disappointed in her and hadn't chosen to write back. She tried not to feel resentful about that, or hurt. What she'd done _was_ selfish, but she'd hoped her sisters would understand like they had Lucy's choosing to live with pirates in Tortuga. How was this choice any worse or any more questionable?

It wasn't as if she was living in sin. No. Chloe lived in a more isolated section of the island, had a cottage of her own, a lagoon of her own, and a small, private cove as well. She easily survived by using the treasures she'd hidden away and bartering for food or services, and now that she had her own garden she needed less and less things from the village. She kept mostly to herself, swam in the ocean, and practiced the sword-fighting techniques Will and Barbossa had taught her. Barbossa didn't come to her in her dreams anymore and she was surprised at how much she actually missed their conversations.

The villagers were very nice. They'd been a bit suspicious of her at first but had bought her story of woe and allowed her to become one of them. Sure, she kept mostly to herself, but when she ventured into the village people always said their hellos and spoke to her in a friendly manner. She knew better than to get too close to them though, or to let them get too close. She was learning all she'd need to do the mysterious task The Voice had for her, she couldn't allow herself any sort of distraction.

She needed a little side business to keep herself going though, and while not a lot of people visited the island (or even knew about it, it would seem) she'd just finished construction on the cottage, adding on rooms upstairs. The idea of running a little inn was interesting, but thankfully since not many people arrived she wouldn't have to worry about too many people under her roof. It gave her time to slowly but surely furnish the new rooms as well as better her cooking.

There was no way she'd ever be a world-renowned cook, but a year of having to provide for herself had made her proficient in the area. She'd recreated the recipes she could remember learning aboard the Black Pearl, and the ladies on the island had offered her their own when she complained about eating the same things all the time. Thanks to them the little makeshift cookbook she was putting together was quite thick.

Catching sight of herself in a mirror, Chloe paused and stared at her reflection. A year had done much to change her. No longer were her clothes grand and her hair done up in fanciful styles. No. Her once fashionably pale skin had darkened due to time spent under the sun; her clothes were simple like those of every woman in the village. Her hair was no longer the long golden silk it's once been, the length had been beautiful but impractical, she'd kept getting it caught in things, or it'd keep falling in her face, or some other cumbersome situation would happen. It hadn't taken her too long to take her sword to her locks and cut them shoulder-length. She'd burnt the rest. It'd been oddly cathartic.

"Miss Calypso!" A young voice called out. "Miss Calypso!"

Peering out of the window of the second floor bedroom, Chloe glanced down to see ten year old Ernest Smith waving his hand back and forth at her. "Shouldn't you be in school?" There was a small school on island that catered to the fishermen's children.

Ernest smiled mischievously and held up a heavy-looking bag.

Knowing what was probably inside; Chloe smiled and waved him in.

Ernest ran towards the front door and when she met him there, he had already undone the knot at the end of the bag and opened it wide so she could peer inside. "Lookey lookey!" His excitement was adorable. "Last storm washed up some beauties!"

Peering inside, Chloe reached within and eased out a jewelry chest. It was beautiful, roughened by years at sea, but still beautiful.

"And look at this!" Ernest shoved his hand inside and scrummaged around for a second before pulling out a small wooden swan. "It made me think of you, wiffen your necklace and all!"

Fingers clasping around the swan necklace James had given her so very long ago, Chloe smiled. "It is lovely." She went through the other contents of the bag and finally reached into her pocket and pulled out two coins. No one else would pay that much but the boy was making an honest living, and she really did like the little treasures he found. "Go put everything on my table please."

"Yes Miss Calypso!" Eager and happy to have once again earned a wage, Ernest did as told and then rushed back out. "You need a husband, too much work still leff for a pretty lady like yourself to do all on her lonesome."

Amused by this change in topic, Chloe wrapped a shawl tighter around her shoulders. "Are you offering?"

"Am not old enough yet," he informed her. "But I reckon Seamus likes you just fine."

Oh, yes, Seamus liked her enough to come "serenade" her drunkenly almost every other night.

Ernest leaned in closer. "Though, between you and me, miss, you can do better than Seamus."

The laughter that escaped her was loud and amused. "I think so too."

Grinning brightly, Ernest glanced over his shoulder, turned back to Chloe, waved, and then was off.

"GO TO SCHOOL!" Chloe yelled after him.

"I CANNOT HEAR YOU MISS!" Ernest yelled cheekily over his shoulder before he was gone.

Leaning in the doorway, Chloe grinned. That boy reminded her of Lucy so much she sometimes forgot she wasn't talking to her little sister.

A strange breeze swooped around her and she glanced out towards the little cliff overlooking the cove. She didn't know why she moved towards it but she found herself soon standing on the edge, shawl tightly around her shoulders, staring out at the beautiful sea. A large ship could be seen on the horizon, headed this way. They did get some visitors, mostly sailors who needed a port where to buy more food and stock up on fresh water. They hardly ever stayed on the island so she didn't think she'd need to worry about having guests.

Hugging her arms tighter, Chloe turned away from the sea and returned to her home. She busied herself until sunset, and then she returned once more to watch the sun setting over the horizon. Every single evening she stood at this very place, watching the sun as it set into the sea. She didn't know why, or what she was looking for, but she watched it, and just like every day, the sea swallowed the sun, and darkness spread out across the heavens.

Returning home, Chloe lit the lamps in the house and sat by the window, gaze out over the sea. Maybe later she'd go for a dip, but only once it was later. The last time she'd gone to swim in the ocean around sunset she'd returned to chaos since someone had come to see her and had thought she'd "returned to the sea" or something like that when they'd found her dress in the cove.

She must've fallen asleep while gazing at the sea because the next thing she knew there was a pounding on the door. Wariness filled her as she grabbed her sword and made her way to the door. A peer outside the window proved that there were some men there, two of which held an unconscious man between them.

Opening the door, Chloe stood in the doorway. "May I help you?"

"Miss Calypso." Hannibal, a young man from town, appeared. "This sailor is looking for an inn and yours is the only one on island. I know it is not finished yet but his friends need somewhere to leave him."

"'Friends' is a strong word, young'un," one of the men declared harshly. "This one thinks himself too good for the likes o' us, and we find we dunna want his kind on our ship."

"His _kind_?" Chloe narrowed her eyes. If this guy was trouble he wasn't getting into her house.

"His Nibs thinks he is too grand for us and our ship," another of the sailors declared. "And he's a lousy drunk, all mournful. Drags the spirit of the men down he does."

"We can catch the next ship out fer all we care," another sailor snapped. "Just dunna want him with us!"

"We 'ave his tings here," one of the sailors in the back declared.

"We sauced 'im good and brought 'im here, will be gone before he wakes up," another promised.

Chloe was about to tell them to take their drunk friend and leave… but then the light of her lamp caught on his face, and her eyes widened. She recognized that face. How she did with how dirty he was was a mystery, but she did. "Bring him in. And do not drag in dirt with you or that will cost extra." She glared. "And you're paying me tonight's stay now. Otherwise get out." They sounded desperate enough to…

"Here you go, ma'am," the first handed her some coins. "Should be enough for tonight."

It was.

Stepping out of the way, Chloe allowed them inside and led them to the room down below that was ready. They threw their comrade on the bed, threw his things on the floor, and promptly left without another word.

Locking the door behind them, Chloe watched them leave and then slipped into the room. She hesitated at the door, light on him, and then sighed as she placed the lamp by his bed and sat on the edge of it. In a second she was up though, gone to the bathroom for a bowl which she filled with water she kept in a large container, and grabbed a rag before she went back to the bedroom and placed the bowl next to the lamp.

Wetting the rag, Chloe hesitated before she sat down next to him once more and began to wipe away the dirt and gunk. They were caked on, his hair much longer and unkempt than she was used to seeing. The scent of rum was so thick he smelt as if he'd bathed in it.

 _What has happened to you, James_?

Continuing to ease the dirt from his face, Chloe observed him in his tattered, dirty uniform, and couldn't reconcile him with the James Norrington she'd known for so many years. What had happened to him since he'd left His Majesty's Service? How could he have fallen this low?

Those questions, and more, plagued her as she stared down at a dear friend who'd suddenly become a stranger.

If James had changed this much in one year, what about everyone else?

* * *

It had been six months since she'd seen William Turner.

Lana Swann stared out of the window at the unusually rainy day and sighed as she pressed her forehead against the glass. They'd come upon the anniversary of Chloe's death and the household was showing it. Everyone wore black and had the grimmest of expressions on their faces. Lana had expected to see Will back, even if only for the anniversary, but he hadn't come.

Worry curled in her gut, like it always did when she thought about Will. He'd up and disappeared into the night, saying goodbye to no one. They'd only found out the next day because Mr Brown had grumbled on how his apprentice had quit and left – and then he'd gone on to say how ungrateful Will was. Lana knew that the man's business would suffer because he'd actually have to do his own work instead of Will doing it for him, and that that was the real reason for his bad mood.

"Milady," Mary knocked on the door. "Mr White is here to see you."

Lana sighed and almost told Mary to let her visitor know she was indisposed, but instead she squared her shoulders and stood. "Please let him know that I will be with him in a second."

* * *

It was high noon by the time James Norrington stumbled out of his room with what seemed to be the hangover from hell. She'd learnt some cures for hangovers from Macy the barmaid, and had one ready for him when he stumbled forwards, hand on his forehead, eyes bleary.

"Where the devils am I?" James's voice was hoarse as he turned towards her and froze. "Apologies, madam, I did not mean to swear in the presence of a lady." He closed his eyes and groaned. "How is it that I came to be here? The last I remember I was drinking at the bar."

"Your colleagues left you here high and dry," she declared slowly. Was he so hungover that he didn't even recognize her?

James turned to face her. "That voice…" He moved towards her, eyes narrowed, head visibly killing him, and then he got close enough and his eyes widened as he seemed to lose all color. "Miss Swann?"

She smiled and lifted a wooden cup to his lips. "Drink this, James; it will help with the pain."

He accepted the glass and drank without question. "I must still be drunk."

For a moment she didn't understand what he meant by that, and then she did. "You are not hallucinating. I am really here."

"Why would you be here?" James wanted to know as he finished the drink and peered around the cottage. "In this sort of place?"

"James Ezekiel Norrington! Do not dare to disparage my home!"

He flinched at his full name. Something about it must've gotten through to him though because his eyes widened as he dropped the cup. " _Chloe_?"

She smiled. "Hello James."

Suddenly horror filled James' eyes. He took a step back and then looked down at himself, at the condition he was in, and shame quickly joined horror. He glanced away, as if unable to look at her, his gaze fixed steadily on the ground. "Please forgive me for the sorry state in which I stand before you." His hands clenched tightly at his sides and trembled as his voice thickened. "I did not realize just how low I had fallen until this very second. The shame I feel that you should see me like this… I would prefer to be dead."

Chloe moved closer and slapped him before even realizing what she was doing. She could see the shock on his face as he cradled his face and stared down at her with wide-eyes, and while she was surprised at herself she cleared her throat and raised her chin. "Now, if you are done feeling sorry for yourself I will draw a bath for you." She eyed his tattered uniform. He'd held onto it as if to a last bit of his past. "Once all the gunk has been washed away you will change into clean clothes and then have breakfast." She anchored her hands on her hips. "I trust you do not have any issues with this."

His eyes said otherwise. " _You_ draw my bathwater? Chloe, you are not my servant girl! I could never-!"

She raised a finger and silenced him immediately. "This is my inn and you are my paying customer. Of course I will-."

"You do not have a maid assisting you?" James looked horrified. "You are doing the manual labor yourself? Chloe! You are a lady of fine breeding! You-."

"What I am is losing patience." She raised an eyebrow. "No offense, James, but you need a bath."

He lowered his head and cleared his throat. "Then I will draw my own bath water."

"Do not be ridiculous, I-."

"I will not have you doing manual labor when I can do so myself." James' voice was soft but determined. She knew that tone. He would not be swayed.

Deciding to concede on this matter for his pride's sake, Chloe instructed him on where he could get the water, and then towards the washroom. While he went ahead to bathe she readied breakfast. It wouldn't be anything like he was used to eating as former Commodore, but it would keep him filled and in the end that was all that mattered.

She'd finished setting the table and had opened up some of the windows so the sea breeze could come in when she heard someone clearing his throat. Chloe turned to see someone who looked more like the James she knew. He was scrubbed clean, so hard in fact his skin had a rosy glint to it. His hair was wet and pulled back from his face (she was still not used to seeing him without the wig) and his clothes worn yet clean. He smelt of soap. It was nice.

Smiling, Chloe moved to the table. "How do you feel?"

"Clean," he responded, apparently rooted to the spot.

Sighing, Chloe made her way to him and looped her arm around his, leading the surprised man to the table. "Come now, the food is getting cold."

James sat down and waited for her to do the same before he glanced down at his plate curiously.

She laughed. "Oh, come now James, I did not poison your food."

James looked up, eyes wide. "You cooked this?"

She leaned her cheek against her fist, elbow on the table. "A lone woman must know how to feed herself."

Something odd passed over James' eyes. "A lone woman?"

She spread her arms as if asking if he saw anyone else around.

James cleared his throat and lowered his gaze to his food as he picked up his fork. "Pardon, I had merely assumed that you and Mr Turner had decided to start your married life together away from Port Royal." He glanced up and must've noticed something in her expression because he dropped his fork. "You _are_ here as _Mrs_ Turner, are you not?"

"I am here as _Miss Finley_ ," she admitted. "Miss Calypso Finley. So if someone from the village comes here I would appreciate it if you called me that."

James' gaze lowered and anger was visible before he pushed it back and took in a deep breath. Instead of asking why she and Will were no longer together, he picked back up his fork, his knife, and daintily tried the food. Upon swallowing he looked up at her in shock. "This is quite pleasing."

Chloe laughed, hard. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed like this. "Do not sound so shocked! My ego is bruised!"

"I did not mean to imply-!" James turned rosy at the cheeks. "I merely meant that-." He cleared his throat. "As the daughter of the Governor you should not have to—."

She waited for him to continue.

He must've read something on her face because he cleared his throat and lowered his attention to the plate once more. "Thank you for the meal."

Chloe's smile grew as she leaned back in her seat. "You are welcome, James."

Silence fell between them as they broke their fast.

* * *

 **TBC**


	2. The Sea Shanty

Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Pirates of the Caribbean… or the sea shanty The Derelict

Sequel to: Curse of the Black Pearl.

* * *

Chloe went about her day as normal. Technically as long as she offered James a room to sleep in and three square meals she could otherwise ignore him, which she did. It wasn't out of spite. No. She was just very busy.

The construction of the rooms upstairs might be over, but there was still a lot to be done before they were ready. For one, they were unfurnished. She'd ordered beds and wardrobes from the local carpenter, and until they were ready she busied herself with the gardens and other such work that kept her busy.

"Do you truly have no maid to help you with this sort of menial labor?"

Twirling around in surprise, Chloe clutched the rag she'd been using to clean the window to her heart. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I apologize, twas not my intention to startle you." James appeared both contrite and uneasy in the doorway.

Heart still racing, Chloe let out a stuttered breath yet returned to the task at hand. "I do not need a maid."

"But a lady of your upbringing—," James began.

"—won't die if she learns to be useful," Chloe interrupted.

"It distresses me to see you like this," James admitted softly.

"Then you will want to leave and go somewhere else because after this I have to sweep."

Silence met her declaration and she was sure he'd left until the sound of soft brushing could be heard.

Chloe turned in shock to find James Norrington sweeping very awkwardly. Her eyes widened and she nearly dropped her rag. "What are you doing?"

"I cannot merely stand doing nothing whilst you slave away," he muttered. "What sort of gentleman would that make me?"

"You are my paying customer," she reminded.

He frowned. "If you refuse to find someone more appropriate for this sort of labor I refuse to allow you to strive alone. I am made of better mettle than that."

Perplexed, Chloe anchored her hands on her hips. "Have you ever swept before?"

"No," James admitted. "But, madam, you seem to forget that I once was a decorated commodore in His Majesty's Service." He raised the broom defiantly. "I have been trained by the finest soldiers to battle for our realm, to see through the enemy and conquer. I doubt this common household appliance will prove a difficult challenge."

She bit her lip, happy to see a spark of the old James still there. "Fine, have at it."

He did. It was awkward yet he quickly got a hang of it. When they finished the room they went to another, and then the last. Once they were finished they were hungry, sweaty, but in a good mood. They'd had lunch out in the back garden where the breeze could cool them off.

As they ate, Chloe chuckled softly to herself.

"What amuses you?" James inquired as he tore his gaze from the sea.

"I was thinking of the peculiarities of life," she answered. A couple of years ago she'd have been mortified for James to see her in a less than perfect state, yet here she was, a right mess. Her hair was wild, half sticking to her face, half frizzy. Her clothes were torn and dirty from work. She was almost sure there was a smudge on her cheek because James kept glancing in her direction. It was amazing how a couple of years could change circumstances! She was much more confident and comfortable with herself now than she had ever been.

James didn't ask her what she'd meant with that comment, maybe he already knew. His gaze returned to the sea.

"A storm's coming," Chloe murmured.

"How can you tell?" James took in a deep breath of sea breeze. "It is a clear sky."

"I feel it." She hadn't been wrong in her storm predictions for a year now.

James once more didn't ask her to clarify her odd comments, merely accepted them.

They remained in the back garden until the end of lunch, and then for the rest of the evening James stuck by her side, demanding she allow him to help. Of course, the fact that he had never done any sort of similar work meant she spent more time explaining to him what had to be done and how to do it than actually getting the work done, but she was appreciative of his desire to help. Despite his own finer upbringing James Norrington had always been, and would always be, a consummate gentleman. It made her smile.

They worked together side by side and in the evening were both tired and dirty, yet after bathing and having a light dinner neither retired to their beds. Instead they congregated in the living room, James with a book he'd brought to the island with him, and Chloe with clothes in need of mending.

They didn't speak, didn't even look up from what they were doing, but yet it was comfortable, comforting. For the first time since arriving on this island Chloe wasn't alone.

And then the peace was broken by loud, passionate, and utterly out of tune singing.

James glanced up immediately in distaste. "What sort of hellish torture is this?"

Sighing, Chloe pulled on her shawl as she stood. "It is one of the village men, Seamus." She'd hoped tonight would be one of the rare nights without a visit from him. "He's gotten into the whiskey and started earlier than usual."

James frowned. "Are you implying that you are submitted to this sort of harassment on a regular basis?"

"It's more of an annoyance than harassment," she muttered.

"Do you welcome this Seamus fellow's tone-deaf courtship?"

" _No_." She shook her head resolutely.

"Does he know this?"

She thought about her many rejections. "Most assuredly."

"Then, would you allow me to handle the situation?"

"He's a harmless drunk," Chloe declared. "He poses no threat."

"This could be so, but it is disrespectful and I can not abide such behavior." James stood. "Especially not against a maiden who has no kin present to look after her well-being."

"I do not need _protecting_ ," she argued, but when Seamus' singing hit a particularly ear-shattering note she motioned James to do as he willed.

"Thank you." With that James left the cottage. Seamus stopped singing. Blessed silence reigned.

Curiosity quickly won her over and Chloe moved to the window. Pulling across the curtain she peered out to find James calmly conversing with Seamus, who seemed to be listening intently to whatever he was saying, nodding every once in a while. Seamus wiped his palm under his nose and then suddenly hugged James, who stiffened up visibly and patted the back of the (now) bawling man.

Chloe bit down on her bottom lip, amused and intrigued.

Seamus finally pulled away, wiped at his eyes, and then stumbled away.

James ran his hand over his face, and his shoulders rose and fell with a heavy sigh. When he turned back towards the cottage and caught her watching he slowly returned her wave.

Seamus never returned to serenade her again after that night.

* * *

"…Calypso."

Lucy glanced up and frowned. It'd been a month since she'd arrived back in Tortuga from her very extended stay in Port Royal. She'd wanted to be there for her family, but she'd realized that if she didn't escape, didn't leave, her father might latch on and never let go. She loved him, loved her sisters, but life in Port Royal wasn't for her, she'd missed The Captain's Bride and Gi too much to stay any longer, so she'd escaped and once more left a letter for her father apologizing but explaining that her life wasn't there with them, and that while she'd always mourn Chloe she couldn't stop living her life. Chloe wouldn't have wanted her to, out of all of her sisters Chloe was the only one who understood, Chloe had loved it too.

"You drunk codfish!" One of the ones drinking snorted. "Calypso does'na exist! Mere fable she is!"

"I swear it on me grandmum's grave!" The sloshed sailor protested. "She just walked out of the sea one day, goes by Calypso Finley, but we all know the sea goddess has chosen our small isle as her home!"

Lucy's frown grew. Something about that story sounded vaguely familiar.

"Jus cause some lass swims up to you does'na mean she is the sea goddess bound in human form!" Another of the men at the crowded table declared.

"It is not just that!" The sailor declared. "She brings in the fish!"

The men laughed.

"I do not speak in jest!" He snapped, sloshed yet insulted. "Before she arrived we could barely catch enough to feed ourselves, yet when she sings she calls the fish to our shores! Our waters are now teaming with so many we have begun to trade with nearby ports."

The men chuckled, disbelief rampant.

One did not though. He was older than the others. "Is she flaxen haired with sea-green eyes?"

"Yes!" The sailor's eyes widened.

The men's chuckles died slowly as they peered between the two men.

"I know of this woman," the older man revealed. "A while back I was running supplies to a mission house on a small island not too far from here and heard similar stories of a maiden who walked out of the sea one day. The waters became thick with fish, and every time she sang more sea life gathered."

"Hogwash," one of the sailors scoffed. "Mere superstitious mumblings."

"I thought so too, until we were attacked by pirates." The older man had a distant look in his eyes. "She fought and any pirate who came against her were devoured by crocodiles."

Silence fell on the table.

"The pirates knocked her out and tried to take her on board their ship but the crocodiles converged on the rowboat and knocked it over before they devoured every soul except her." The man cleared his throat. "Not only did the beasts spare her life, but the last I saw of her she sat astride the back of the largest one, while the others fanned out around them like some sort of army."

The silence was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

"It cannot be the same lass then surely," one of the sailors finally broke the silence, unease on his features. "They are from different islands."

"You are wrong." The older man shook his head. "The girl I speak of left the island, and when she left so did the fish."

The silence was deafening.

Lucy's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered why the story sounded so familiar. Will had told her about the pirate attack and about the natives who thought Chloe brought in fish when she sang.

It couldn't be - it _couldn't_ \- and yet she rushed forwards. "This woman, does she have a necklace on at all times?" She reached the table and all the men looked up at her. "It is a translucent stone in the shape of an animal."

"Aye!" The drunkard's eyes widened. "A swan."

Lucy gripped the edge of the table tightly. How was this possible?

Taking in a deep breath, she narrowed her eyes and leaned in forwards, eyes narrowed on the drunk sailor, voice low and dangerous. "Where is this island?"

* * *

Chloe moved through the steps she'd practiced and memorized. She swung her blade and twirled, slashing through the air. James was with her during the days, fixing up the small inn, and in the nights they conversed until retiring. He'd tried paying her for his board and stay but she'd informed him that with all the help he gave her he more than paid for his stay, and refused any of his money. He'd ventured more into the village and seemed to have struck up a friendship with Seamus of all people, whom had apparently imparted him some knowledge on how to fix different issues she'd had at home. Slowly but surely James was becoming working class. Chloe didn't know what to think about it. On one hand she felt that there was nothing wrong with the working class, but on the other James' pride had always been so very important to him, and should he meet anyone whom had once known him, she knew how snide they'd be with him.

Considering they spent their days and nights together Chloe was forced to sneak out after he'd gone to bed so she could practice her sword-fighting. It reminded her oddly of her life in Port Royal, of sneaking out of her father's house to practice in the dark of the night with Will. It still hurt to think about Will, but she forced herself to do so, because she could not heal if she did not face her reality. Will was probably married and had his own smithy. He might have a child with back ringlets and dark eyes. It hurt, still so much more than she wished it did, but it kept getting easier to accept. Will would've moved on by now, and if there was someone better than Seamus on this island for her she might've done so as well, if only to not think of Will any longer.

"You are distracted," a surprising voice declared from the shadows. "Had you been in a true fight you would have died a hundred times over."

Crying out, Chloe swung and her blade clashed loudly against another's. Her eyes widened as she stared at the moonlit man standing so close to her. " _James_?"

James Norrington stood there, an unreadable expression on his face. His sword wasn't the one Will had made for him, no, this one was much more humble. He swung with his sword, nearly knocking the blade out of her hand and it was all she could do to fight back, to defend herself from his blows.

Not sure exactly what James was doing, Chloe put some distance between them and changed her strategy. When their blades met again she was more prepared than she'd been before. She still wasn't sure why he wasn't telling her that she shouldn't have a blade, that this wasn't ladylike, but she'd wished for a sparring partner for so long she stopped wondering and merely enjoyed. A toothy grin touched her lips as she fought James, switching between Barbossa's fighting style and Will's.

At the first shift James actually laughed as he upped his game, fighting her more honestly, less reserved.

In the end Chloe's sword flew out of her hand and landed blade-deep into the sand.

James held the tip of his sword to her chest, a surprised yet fascinated look in his eyes. "Where did you learn to use the blade?"

Pushing the tip away from her chest, Chloe collapsed on the sand. "Will and… Captain Barbossa's ghost."

James raised an eyebrow as he sheathed his sword and, after a look down at the sand, carefully lowered himself down on it. "You commune with the ghost of your captor?"

"I used at least," Chloe admitted, and wasn't sure exactly _why_. "I stopped seeing him after I was kidnapped by the mermaids."

James' eyes widened. "Merfolk?"

She nodded. "I do not remember _why_ I was taken. Will found me half insane on some island not too far from Tortuga with no memory of how I got there."

James frowned. "Merfolk."

"Merfolk," she repeated.

James eyed her in silence before he sighed. "Your technique is adequate, but the one taught to those in His Majesty's Service is far superior to any that a blacksmith or a pirate could teach you."

That might be so, but Will was still the best swordsman she'd ever seen. Then again, this was a completely different style. "Are you offering to teach me?"

"I am not offering. If you are going to own a blade you must know how to properly use it," he declared imperiously.

Her lips tugged in an amused smile. "Why are you not horrified that I know how to fight? Why are you not telling me that a fine lady of my impeccable upbringing should not use a blade?"

"Chloe." James leaned in closer, shadows and moonlight playing on his face as his blue gaze found her green one. "You were first kidnapped by ghost pirates, and then subsequently by merfolk." He raised an eyebrow. "Considering this I aim to also teach you to use a pistol, as well as a cutlass." He eyed her sword. "Your blade is fine yet a cutlass will suit you better. It is lighter and will be easier for you to not only wield, but hide in the folds of your dress should you need to."

Chloe's eyes widened in shock as she stared at him. "I would love that."

James smiled at her and then cleared his throat as he turned to look at the sea.

Chloe stared at James, her thoughts from before returning full-force. James Norrington had changed almost as much as she had during the time that they hadn't seen each other, and yet unlike the first time she'd thought it, Chloe this time realized she did not mind the change.

A small smile touching her lips, Chloe shifted her gaze to the sea as well. She didn't know why she began to sing, or why exactly she chose that exact shanty, but the words started to slip passed her lips before she could stop herself.

 _Fifteen men on a dead man's chest_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum_

 _Drink and the devil had done for the rest_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum._

 _The mate was fixed by the bosun's pike_

 _The bosun brained with a marlinspike_

 _And cookey's throat was marked belike_

 _It had been gripped by fingers ten;_

 _And there they lay, all good dead men_

 _Like break o'day in a boozing ken._

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum._

 _Fifteen men of the whole ship's list_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!_

 _Dead and be damned and the rest gone whist!_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!_

 _The skipper lay with his nob in gore_

 _Where the scullion's axe his cheek had shore_

 _And the scullion he was stabbed times four_

 _And there they lay, and the soggy skies_

 _Dripped down in up-staring eyes_

 _In murk sunset and foul sunrise_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum._

James turned to look at her with some shock and scandal mixed on his expression yet he didn't say anything. It gave her a sort of perverse amusement to see his reaction to her knowing, and singing, such a morbid sea shanty.

 _Fifteen men of 'em stiff and stark_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!_

 _Ten of the crew had the murder mark!_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!_

 _Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead_

 _Or a yawing hole in a battered head_

 _And the scuppers' glut with a rotting red_

 _And there they lay, aye, damn my eyes_

 _Looking up at paradise_

 _All souls bound just contrariwise_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum._

 _Fifteen men of 'em good and true_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!_

 _Ev'ry man jack could ha' sailed with Old Pew,_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!_

 _There was chest on chest of Spanish gold_

 _With a ton of plate in the middle hold_

 _And the cabins riot of stuff untold,_

 _And they lay there that took the plum_

 _With sightless glare and their lips struck dumb_

 _While we shared all by the rule of thumb,_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!_

The moon shone down intensely on the private cove, turning the water nearly translucent. Fireflies lit the darkness around them, like fairies which danced in the air, some of them stopping momentarily on Chloe's hair like a crown of glowing light. She almost stopped in shock and yet felt herself drawn into a trance-like state, her lips moving and her voice emerging almost against her own command.

James stared at her in open awe as the fireflies continued to congregate around them.

Close by, in the harbor, dolphins could be heard calling as they summersaulted out of the water in glee.

 _More was seen through a sternlight screen_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum_

 _Chartings undoubt where a woman had been_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum._

 _'Twas a flimsy shift on a bunker cot_

 _With a dirk slit sheer through the bosom spot_

 _And the lace stiff dry in a purplish blot_

 _Oh was she wench or some shudderin' maid_

 _That dared the knife and took the blade_

 _By God! she had stuff for a plucky jade_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum._

 _Fifteen men on a dead man's chest_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum_

 _Drink and the devil had done for the rest_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum._

 _We wrapped 'em all in a mains'l tight_

 _With twice ten turns of a hawser's bight_

 _And we heaved 'em over and out of sight,_

 _With a Yo-Heave-Ho! and a fare-you-well_

 _And a sudden plunge in the sullen swell_

 _Ten fathoms deep on the road to hell,_

 _Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!_

"I see that swordfighting is not the only thing Barbossa's ghost taught you." Amusement flickered in James' eyes as the edges of his lips twitched. "Because I doubt Mister Turner was the one who taught you that little shanty."

"You would be surprised at how much those pirates dread loved to sing." Chloe carefully eased a hand up and laughed when the fireflies danced over her palm. Excitement and shock mixed with awe as she turned her greens to James, about to ask him if he was seeing this as well, when she paused at the odd way he looked at her. "Are you okay, James?"

He cleared his throat and nodded as he glanced away. "Most assuredly. Why do you ask?"

She tilted her head as she eyed him. "You looked like you wanted to cry."

James smiled, and it was the saddest thing she had ever seen. "I am sure you are just imagining it." His gaze returned to the sea, completely blind to the way the fireflies circled him.

Chloe watched him, a small frown on her face.

* * *

 **TBC**


	3. The Truth

Disclaimer: Don't own POtC or SV.

A/N: All facts regarding Admiral Lawrence Norrington **are canon**.

* * *

One of Chloe's favorite parts of having her own personal cove was being able to collect stones and shells (as well as other things that washed up on her shore) to decorate her garden and yard with. Ernest must've told the villagers about her little quest to line the pathway to her front door because quite a couple of them had brought lovely medium to large rocks to help her in her little project. She hadn't felt this sort of community spirit in Port Royal and was quickly growing used to it. It was one of the reasons why she didn't mind the eccentricity of the people themselves.

"Why do they do that?" James watched the elderly couple leave as they murmured to themselves.

Chloe glanced up from the shells and driftwood the couple had brought her. These weren't for her yard or garden though. "They are superstitious."

James turned to face her in curiosity.

She elaborated with a sigh, knowing he wasn't going to like it. "I have a friendly relationship with a young local boy."

"Ernest," James figured with a small smile.

Chloe nodded. "He used to have two brothers."

James' smile slipped from his lips at her use of the past tense.

"They were fishing with their father in questionable weather and got caught in a storm." Chloe could still remember the storm that had rattled her bones. She'd even mentioned it brewing to Ernest when he'd visited her the day before the ill-fated fishing trip. "Ernest was the only one who survived."

James didn't speak for a moment, then he asked: "What does this have to do with you?"

"The day before the accident I gave him a necklace I'd made from some of the things he'd brought me. It was a way of thanking him, I suppose, for keeping me company and getting me things I wouldn't find otherwise. It wasn't a grand necklace, in fact it was quite amateurish, but he was wearing it the day he went fishing." Chloe clutched the material in her hands tightly. "The villagers seem to think it was a protection charm. Whenever one of them has to go to sea for a period of time, like the young boys when they join ships as cabin boys or sailors, their parents bring me things like this and ask for a 'token' for their sons."

James' expression darkened. "They believe you are a witch."

Sometimes she thought they did, but considering no one had tried burning her or her house to the ground it had to be something else.

"You must dissuade them from this sort of thinking," James pressed. "Should an illness or anything foul befall this island they will blame you."

She had not considered that.

Anxiety darkened visibly on James' face as he paced. "Do not make the amulet for those people."

"I told them I would make this for their son," Chloe protested. "I gave my word."

"And what if that boy dies at sea with your amulet?" James turned to face her. "They will blame you!"

"And what if that boy dies at sea _without_ my amulet?" Chloe countered. "They will still blame me!"

James paused in realization and groaned.

She felt more sorry for his obvious headache than worried about any danger she might potentially experience. James didn't understand, he didn't know that the villagers believed she brought the fish, he also didn't know that she wasn't exactly sure she _didn't_ bring the fish. The first island and the first villagers she'd thought merely superstitious, but this was two for two. What if she _did_ bring in the fish when she sang? Hadn't Angus and the others said it enough times? Didn't they discourage anyone from doing anything that would make her "stop singing"?

It was why she still sung. If she called in the fish the villagers needed – if she really had this odd ability – the villagers needed it. They'd been kind to her and she felt the need to reciprocate. It was also why she sometimes drew blood while trying to make the crude little amulets, because if by the odd chance they _did_ actually protect the boys who wore them – why wouldn't she make them and save the boys?

She wasn't a witch. She wasn't sure what she was, but she knew the Voice was special, and if it could be trusted there was something special about _her_ as well. So why shouldn't she use that special – something – to help these people? To keep them from starving? To keep them from losing people they loved to storms and other dangers on the sea?

"I must head to the village to enquire on the chests you commissioned," James finally declared. "I will take the time to ponder on this dangerous misunderstanding and how to best put the villagers straight."

Chloe watched him head to where her horse was already saddled and was waiting. James mounted, freed the reigns, and with a nod to Chloe was off.

It was a good thing he was gone too, because minutes after he left that she blinked to no longer find herself standing by her house. No. She wasn't even standing. Instead she floated within water, the surface much higher up. A shadow cast over her caused her to glance up and see the outline of a smaller boat above her.

 **'Surface**.'

The Voice jolted her in surprise and it was only when her grip instinctively tightened on something in her hand that she even realized that she was holding something. Chloe peered down to see the bejeweled dagger she'd stolen from the Asian pirate.

 **'SURFACE**.'

Finally she obeyed and surfaced behind a small boat to find a couple she did not recognize, they were probably from a neighboring island. The elderly couple sobbed as they released flowers into the sea.

 **'Dey grieve da death of dere son,'** the Voice informed her. **'Dey nah know he survived da pirate attack and has been forced to serve Blackbeard. Dey will never know he is alive, and dat if dey go to Las Tortugas and offer Blackbeard da right price, dey can buy dere son's freedom.'**

The dagger warmed in Chloe's hands as understanding filled her. Sinking under the water once more she swam towards the front of the boat and surfaced amongst the flowers.

The old man and woman recoiled in terror.

She didn't blame them. It was only in this moment that she realized they must think her a mermaid, and mermaids were known to prey on sailors. And why shouldn't they think her a mermaid? Now that she looked around she could barely make out her island home in the distance. No human should be able to make this swim, and these people would know that. She wasn't even sure why the two had chosen this place to mourn their son. It must've been a huge effort to get them to this exact spot. Why was it important to release the flowers here?

The man raised his oar, about to swing at her with it.

"Your son lives!" Chloe's words had him freezing. "He survived the pirate attack on his vessel but has been made a slave on Blackbeard's ship."

"He lives?" The woman whispered tearfully.

"Why should we believe your words?" The man wanted to know, oar still held high.

"Because," Chloe lifted her hand to extend the dagger's handle towards them, "if you take this to Las Tortugas you will find Blackbeard's ship, and you will be able to use this dagger to buy your son's freedom from his new master."

"Thank you!" The mother sobbed as her husband took the dagger from Chloe.

"Why are you helping us?" The father asked softly. "Who art thou?"

Chloe glanced towards her island before she turned back to face them. These people probably hadn't heard any news from Port Royal and would never meet anyone she knew, but she still let her paranoia reign. "My name is Calypso."

The couples' eyes widened and the woman collapsed to her knees in uncontrollable sobs.

"You heard our pleas." The man clutched the dagger so tightly it shook. "Thank you, Calypso! Thank you!" He fell to his knees as well.

Increasingly uncomfortable, Chloe dove back under and began her slow swim towards home. It would take her a while to make it back to the island given the distance - every time she surfaced to gage the distance remaining (and make sure she hadn't accidentally gone off course) she found the sky darker and darker.

By the time she made it back to the cove her body was so sore, and she so tired, that she only managed to pull herself onto the shore. Collapsed on the sand, Chloe closed her eyes, meaning only to rest for a little while, but the next time she blinked her eyes open she found herself in bed, dry, with blankets up to her chin. The darkness of the room, as well as how low the lit candles had burnt, proved that she'd been in bed for a couple of hours. Chloe pulled her blankets down to find that she now wore one of her nightgowns.

"Mrs Sinclair changed you," a voice assured her.

Chloe turned to find James sitting in a chair in the corner of her room, the shadows from the candles dancing on his expressionless face.

"Dr Sinclair assured me that you were merely tired, and then mentioned casually that you are known to disappear for hours into the sea, so I should not worry when you do it next time." James's voice was soft as he leaned forwards on the seat, elbows leaning against knees. "Is there something which you wish to share with me?"

Chloe clutched at her sheets, not sure what to say.

 **'Tell him,'** the Voice ordered.

Chloe's eyes widened in shock. The Voice had never given her permission to tell anyone before, but now that it had she rapidly did so. She warned him that what she was about to disclose would sound insane, but was true, and then she told him everything - even the things no one else knew. It took hours, and through out the whole time James' face showed no expression. He interrupted once or twice to ask questions and then would fall silent once more to allow her to continue.

Finally, when she had finished, Chloe clutched at her crystal swan necklace in anxiety.

What if James thought she was insane?

He looked at her, took in a deep breath, and palmed his faced as he leaned back in the seat. "The villagers do not believe you are a witch, they believe you are a goddess, and from what you have said, I believe the couple on the boat believe the same."

Chloe's eyes widened. This wasn't what she'd expected to hear. " _What_?"

"I never quite listened to sailor lore, but I have heard stories murmured by the more superstitious men onboard every ship I have ever been aboard." James looked like he was having a terrible headache. "From the little I can recall, Calypso was the goddess of the sea."

It was a good thing she was already seated, otherwise she would've collapsed in shock.

"Of all the names ever invented, _why_ would you choose that one?" James groaned.

"I thought it was a word, not a name!" She defended. "I did not know the mythological connotations!" She bit her bottom lip. "But what if the Voice I hear is the _real_ Calypso? Those people said that Calypso had heard their pleas - which would make sense considering the Voice sent me to them with the one thing they'd need in their situation."

James stared at her in silence before he groaned once more. "I cannot believe that your mental communication with an oceanic deity is an option which merits actual consideration."

She cleared her throat. "Why are you not telling me that I need to be interned in a bedlam?"

"Had I not entered into a battle with undead pirates whose skeletal form was betray by moonlight I might have issues such a fanciful tale. But as it has so happened, now that I have lived through such an experience I am able to listen to your story and not worry about your mental state." He looked depressed at that very fact. "Also, when I finally found you in the cove the tattoo I did not know you have was glowing brightly through your soaked clothes. That in itself corroborates part of your story." He took in a deep breath as he leaned back against the wall once more. "You can… breathe underwater."

Chloe nodded.

A reluctant smile touched his lips. "I must admit that I am quite envious."

"I wonder if I could pass the ability with a kiss in the same way the mermaids do," Chloe muttered, and then turned bright red when she realized exactly what she had said.

James' eyes widened and he looked away.

* * *

Captain Jack Sparrow was acting strange… _er_.

The crew were starting to comment on their captain's actions but Gibbs seemed to brush it off as Jack being more eccentric than usual, and when it came to Jack people tended to trust Joshamee Gibbs' intuition as he was the one who knew their odd leader best.

Standing at the mast, wind blowing his hair, William Turner stared at the door that Jack had disappeared behind. He'd ordered they sail towards some sort of Prison Island in search of a treasure, and while the crew were happy and excited at the thought of treasure, Will hadn't been able to get the odd gleam in Jack's eyes out of his mind. That was probably why he hadn't been surprised when, instead of jewels, Jack had returned from the island with a drawing of a key. And then, after a half of an hour in his cabin, Jack had ordered they set sail for the nearest island.

Something was definitely going on with him. Will wasn't worried about Jack, he honestly didn't care much for the man. To be honest the only ones on this boat he half liked were Gibbs and Mr Cotton's parrot. He wasn't here because of camaraderie, no, he was here because it helped him forget everything he wanted to forget.

It'd been so long since Chloe's death, and yet it also seemed like just yesterday. He'd finally accepted her death and the role he'd played in it, but the guilt was still there. He'd forever regret it, forever wish that he could go back in time to that morning in Tortuga when Chloe had accepted the proposal he hadn't offered her. If he could go back in time he would've married her on that island and never returned to Port Royal.

But the past was the past and there was nothing he could do to change it. All he could do was continue with his life and find some sort of happiness, somehow.

Being with Jack and his crew didn't make Will happy, but it kept him busy, kept his mind too occupied and his body sore – made him sleep quickly and restfully at night. And that was what he needed.

"You cannot say that there is not something more off about him than usual," Will declared as footsteps drew near.

Joshamee Gibbs joined him with a frown. "He has a plan, I know it."

"He told us to sail 'in that direction'." Will raised an eyebrow.

Gibbs opened his mouth then closed it with a sigh.

Point proven, Will's gaze shifted onto the sea as he sighed.

* * *

"You really did not have to do this," Chloe repeated for the hundredth time as they sat aboard the small row boat, close to the barrier reef.

"It is not safe for you to be in the sea at night, especially not by yourself," James informed her. "What if you come across sea life not controlled by The Voice? It is a shorter swim to this vessel than it would be to the shore." He clutched his spyglass. "Also I can help keep an eye out for anything for you." He took in a deep breath. "If you insist on making these trips I insist on being here." He licked his lips. "And, to be honest, I want to see you breathe underwater."

"Ah, so this is all you being selfish," she teased before throwing off her shawl. The rowboat rocked under her as she moved to stand where she'd been sitting seconds before. Barefoot and wearing her thinnest slip, Chloe dove out of the rowboat and into the water, which was cool against her skin. She opened her eyes, the sea salt stinging for a split seconds before, with a blink, it was gone. She dove deep down, her body undulating. She glanced upwards over her shoulder, and could make out the shape of the rowboat, as well as James peering down into the water, the moonlight behind him and giving his silhouette greater detail.

Diving further and further down, Chloe finally reached the bottom. She shifted and allowed her body to drift downwards onto the sand as she gazed up at James and waved at him. The moonlight must've made the crystalline water even more see-through, because she could vaguely make out that he was returning the gesture. Giddiness filled her as she shifted once more and started to swim along the sea bottom. She'd never been able to share this part of her before, and the knowledge that there was someone she could share this with, could show this to, made her grin brightly. As she spun and changed directions, swimming here and there, she realized she was showing off.

Laughter escaped her lips in bubbles as she swam. It wasn't the first time that she wished she had a mermaid's tail, because those tails gave strong thrusts that sent the mermaids racing through the water. Compared to that, Chloe's kicks weren't half as strong and didn't propel her half as far. It was part of the reason why she spent nights in the water like this, strengthening her body. There might come a time where she'd need to swim a very long distance, and she couldn't be as fatigued as she'd been when she'd awoken by those mourning their son. No. She needed to have the strength to use this gift she'd been given.

She lost herself in her swimming, wasn't even sure how long it'd been, but suddenly she remembered James. Noticing that a small "anchor" of sorts had been dropped to keep the rowboat in place, she swam up, and once she surfaced she found James Norrington watching her with visible awe. Chloe swam closer and crossed her arms against the side of the rowboat before using them as a pillow to rest her chin. "Hello."

"The more I watched you the more I expected you to grow a tail," he admitted softly. "Chloe, your gift is incredible. No wonder the locals here believe you are a sea goddess! You were there for nigh two hours without coming up once for breath! No mere mortal can do something like that!"

"Was it that long?" Her eyes widened as the sea rocked her and the rowboat. "You must have been bored!"

James chuckled and shook his head. "Far from it. I must keep sharp should a shark or some other predator approach."

"And how did you plan on catching my attention?" Chloe wanted to know. "I forgot all about you and didn't even look up during the time I was down there. You would not be able to warn me."

"That is why I brought my pistol." He tapped said pistol. "And should that have failed to scare the creature away I have my sword."

"What could you have done with that on this boat?" Chloe asked in confusion, until it clicked. Her eyes widened. "You would have jumped into the water with a shark on the hunt for me?"

James cleared his throat and looked away. "Without hesitation."

Chloe's heart skipped a beat and gripped the side of the boat tighter. "Why did you truly leave Port Royal?" When James offered her his hand she took in and allowed his help as he pulled her out of the water and into the rowboat. "Thank you." Pulling her shawl around her, Chloe shivered at the cold air as it hit her wet body. "Just one loss against Jack cannot be the reason why you would resign your post as Commodore and leave."

James removed his coat and eased it around her wet shoulders. "Have I ever told you about my father?"

She nodded silently and hugged James' coat, and its warmth, tighter around her shoulders. "You said that he was an Admiral in His Majesty's British Royal Navy. That he'd shaped you into the man you were and that he was the reason you aspired to become an Admiral as well."

"Let me tell you a story I have never told anyone else concerning my father." James took in a deep breath. "While on a mission to pursue Captain Edward Teague – father of Jack Sparrow – my father brought me with him to foster my hatred of pirates. I was very young at the time; in the midst of a chaotic battle when Teague's crew came to rescue him and Sparrow I was knocked into the sea and rescued by Teague." James visibly steeled himself. "My father was humiliated that his son had been rescued by a pirate." James' gaze lowered to the ground. "He declared that he would've rather I had died."

" _James_." Chloe reached out and placed her hand on his. She couldn't believe his father had said such a horrible thing.

"He once told me: ' _You need to be brave, son. There are men out there who are savages, and they want to destroy your entire way of life. They are uncivilized, heathen, thieving, filthy pirates, and when I have gone to a final rest, it is you who will carry on the banner of civility and order, and help the Crown and our allies in the East India Trading Company eradicate their slime from the Seven Seas._ '" James smiled despite the sadness in his eyes. "I could not return home, not after having been disgraced by the son of the man who first brought down shame on my head in my father's eyes. He wrote me a letter to the same effect." He gulped. "It was hard for me to realize that I had sunk so low that I had no home."

She tightened her grip on his hand. "James, it is not much, but I am insulted you do not yet consider my house your home."

He tore his gaze from the sandy beach and instead those blues rested on her. He was silent for a very long time, and if it wasn't for the fact that he gripped her hand tightly she would've worried that she'd made him uncomfortable. James chuckled softly under his breath as he shook his head. "I have been a fool for so many years, the knowledge of the depths of it has me utterly mortified."

"You have never been a fool," she countered. "There is no reason to be mortified."

James licked his lips and lowered his gaze to their joined hands before he cleared his throat and turned his gaze once more to the sea. "I would be honored if you would continue to allow me to rest my head under your roof." He cleared his throat. "I will, of course, pull my own weight and-."

"Hush." She rolled her eyes in amusement. "You have already done so much." At his raised eyebrow she grinned mischievously. "I am able to sleep throughout the night without being serenading by Seamus – that is enough to make me want to give you a kiss."

James' eyes widened and he cleared his throat and he once more looked away. "That was nothing. I merely reminded him that as a gentleman it was his duty to-." He trailed off as, in the cove, the dolphins jumped out of the water and twirled in the air before they disappeared under the water once more. "What if this Voice you hear truly _is_ the sea deity?" When his gaze returned to Chloe it was narrowed, worried. "What sort of favor could you perform for her?"

"She told me to practice with the blade," Chloe admitted softly, "so I assume that in the future I will have to fight someone."

James' frown darkened. "Mr Turner and that rogue Barbossa have both taught you sufficiently, but I will be taking over your training."

Her eyes widened in shock. He'd mentioned training her before, but nothing had quite come of it and she hadn't thought he'd truly meant it.

"I was taught by His Majesty's finest," James assured her. "I will commission the blade I told you of previously, but until then we can use the sword you have. We will train nightly."

"Will we?" She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from smiling.

"There is no reason to feel amused," he warned her. "I am a rigorous instructor and will only accept the best. I will not go easy on you merely because of your gender."

This time she didn't even try to stop her smile. "I would be insulted if you did."

* * *

 **TBC**


	4. WWJD

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV** **.**

* * *

"How do you know the goddess?" Mervin asked three weeks into their voyage as they watched the sea together. He was a nice young man who was visibly eager to return home to his parents, something he wasn't ashamed to tell anyone who asked.

Lucy wasn't sure how to answer his question. She'd used the time they were traveling to Mervin's home island to grill him about this "Calypso" and was more than sure that this was actually her sister, but she wasn't exactly sure how to go about this. What if the villagers reacted badly to the knowledge that Chloe wasn't actually a sea deity? And why was Chloe pretending to be one? There were just too many questions and uncertainties for her to answer all willy-nilly.

"Did she used to live on your island as well?"

Lucy nodded. "I have known her since I was a child."

Mervin's expression went troubled. "So she does not stay."

Lucy tilted her head. "What?"

"First that bloke in the tavern talked about her on that island, and now you knew her in another… unless it is the same island?" He looked up, hopeful, but when Lucy shook her head he frowned and glanced down. "It means that she will not be staying with us forever and will leave, like she has the other islands." His grip on the railing tightened. "Our island has flourished since she arrived on our shores. We do not want her to leave." He reached into his shirt and pulled out a crudely made necklace, which was really just a leather string tied around a small leather pouch which obviously had something bulky inside of it. "She made this to protect me on the seas while I travelled." He clutched that pouch tightly. "The ship I arrived in Tortuga in was not the ship I left my home in."

Lucy stared into those intense eyes, able to see the haunted glint inside of their earthy brown hue. "What happened to your original ship?"

"There was an accident with the gunpowder," he replied softly. "The whole ship exploded and I was flung out into the sea. Some barrels that'd been tied together were swept towards me and I used them as a makeshift raft." He took in a deep breath. "They were barrels of fresh water, and without them I would not have survived the days at sea before The Vagabond found me adrift." His grip on the pouch was so tight his knuckles turned white. "Those aboard The Vagabond would not have found me either had the wind not stopped working in their favor. It only picked up after I was on board."

Lucy stared at the young boy, who couldn't be older than seventeen, and realized that he truly believed Chloe's gift was the reason he'd survived, and she really couldn't blame him. She didn't understand what was going on, and every little piece of the puzzle that she unlocked made her question things even more.

"Why did you leave your home and tavern to come and see her?" Mervin wanted to know softly. "What do you need of her?"

Lucy turned her gaze onto the sea and gripped the railing tightly. "I need to know that it is really her, and that she is safe and happy."

Mervin eyed her thoughtfully before he nodded and peered out at the sea as well.

Lucy fought tears.

* * *

"You are distracted," James admonished.

Chest rising and falling rapidly with deep, urgent breaths, Chloe bent over with her hands on her knees. "I just need a moment."

Standing in the moonlight, James stabbed the tip of his sword into the sand and peered at her. "Being distracted during a swordfight will lead to your death."

"I know, I apologize." Chloe tried to slow her breathing but like every night since he'd taken over her training, James hadn't gone easy on her.

"What were you thinking of that could not wait until after we were done with the night's session?" James wanted to know curiously.

Chloe hesitated, she almost didn't tell him, and then she did. "I was wondering when my family will forgive me."

James frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"I have sent them six letters, James. I understand one going astray, even two, but not six." She licked her lips and forced herself to stand straight. "I even broke and sent some to Port Royal." She met his gaze for a second and then looked away. "I have to accept the fact that my family has disowned me for choosing to live here on my own instead of doing as told."

There was a moment's silence, and then James reached for his sword and sheathed it at his side. "It is not my place to meddle in your family's affairs, but I must speak." He took a step towards her before he stopped. "One would have to be blind, deaf and mute to not realize that your father adores you and your sisters. If he could stoop himself low enough to beg me to look the other way should I have to besiege Tortuga and find your sister – to allow her to escape with impunity – then I can say with complete certainty that you choosing to live a healthy, morally sound life here would not have him turning his back on you."

Chloe's eyes widened in shock. "He asked you to allow Lucy to escape?"

"He asked me to do so should I ever be ordered to take Tortuga and all within – or come across her during a pirate raid at sea," James clarified. "He was willing to sign over the deed to his grandest estate should I promise him that I would allow your sister to disappear and look the other way." He cleared his throat, visibly uncomfortable with this conversation. "I refused his offer. In fact it did insult me." His gaze bore into Chloe's intensely. "No matter my station in life, or the circumstances I might find myself in, no matter how adverse to myself it might become, I could never condemn your sister to the gallows."

Chloe stared up at James, unable to look away. Her heart clenched, her eyes prickled, and something warm coursed through her veins. She could see it clearly in his blue eyes: even if he had been an Admiral in His Majesty's Service he would never have allowed himself to hurt her in such a way. He cared about her, he cared about her more than she had ever realized.

Embarrassment had James looking away as he cleared his throat. "It is because of this that I can assure you that your family does love you and I encourage you to continue writing them because you _will_ receive a response. I do not know why you have not received one as yet, but I know that it is _not_ due to any lack of love from your father or your sisters." He licked his lips. "So please, do not lose heart. You are very much loved."

Chloe didn't remember moving, all she knew was one second her hurt thudded so hard against her chest it hurt, and the next she was hugging a stiff James Norrington. And she was crying. She was _bawling_. It was highly unladylike but James' arms slipped around her and he held her in utter silence, allowing her to cry against his chest. She hadn't cried for so long, hadn't allowed herself to be this vulnerable, but now she couldn't hold back as she clutched at James as if to life itself.

"I apologize," James cleared his throat. "I did not catch what you just said."

That was probably because she'd sobbed it into his shirt. "Thank you."

He cleared his throat once more. "Any person who has seen you with your family would have-."

" _No_." Chloe shook her head. "I am not thanking you for saying what you did."

He paused. "What am I being thanked for then?"

"For being here," she whispered tearfully. "With me."

He gulped, audibly. "W-what sort of gentleman would I be if I left you here without any sort of support or protection?"

Chloe frowned softly as she pulled away and hugged herself. "I do not want you to think that you are obliged to stay here with me out of some sort of perceived duty." She glanced away defiantly. "I was doing fine before you came and if you left I would survive quite well on my own."

"Chloe-."

"No." She turned her back on him, knowing she was acting like a child and hating herself for it, but look what 'duty' and 'doing what was right' had done to her and Will. She didn't want that. Not ever again. She didn't want a gentleman looking after and protecting her – or one looking after her best interests like some sort of surrogate father figure. No. She'd left to get away from all of that, to start over again. And maybe she shouldn't expect any better given the fact that James had always considered her his little sister, but she'd thought that he'd abandoned that notion and now saw her as his friend – his _equal_. "I apologize if you have remained here out of some perceived need to protect the weaker sex, but I do not need protection. I have a mission to complete in my life, _me_ , no one else needs to waste their time-." She flinched, hadn't that been what Will had called it? Wasting time? "—because only I am bound to do it, so if you ever feel the desire to go do not for one minute stay just because you believe it your duty to stay here and-."

"Will you stop being so childish for two seconds and actually _look_ at me?" James snapped as he gripped her shoulders and turned her around to face him with such force it shocked her silent. He glared at her. This was the first time she could think of in which he'd done so. "You do not only insult me with this tantrum, but you insult yourself as well." His grip lowered to her upper arms and held her tightly in place. "I do not stay here out of some 'perceived duty'. Believe it or not I stay here, Chloe Ann Swann, because _I desire to_. I am not as selfless and gentlemanly as you seem to believe, so let me set you straight before you continue to make a mountain out of an anthill."

Shocked stiff, unable to believe James had actually _lost his temper at her_ , Chloe just stared at him in wide-eyed shock.

"I could always go back to England, in disgrace yes, but I could find a way to make an honest living and somehow redeem myself. Maybe not to my father, but definitely to the rest of my family and to society." His grip on her shook, his eyes never left hers. "I could find employ suited to my station, I could work my way back up just as I always have, or I could merely oversee one of my father's many estates. I have saved enough during my years in service to start my own venture, and I am considering doing just that, but my venture can be helmed no matter where I am. I can do so from a cold, stuffy room in London, or alternatively I could take up residence in an island filled with naïve and definitely crass and culture-less locals… whom I yet still manage to find enjoyable to be around." His grip on her tightened. "I also enjoy your company. I have _always_ enjoyed your company. Even when you were merely a child I found your company and conversation more entertaining and enjoyable than that of my peers. One of the many advantages I found in the idea of marrying your sister was in making you my family." He took in a deep breath. "I do not understand a family such as yours, one where love is so openly shared. I wished to marry your sister, not only because she was kind and lovely to behold, but as a way to join a family which I had always envied and desired to become a part of."

Chloe couldn't find her voice. Her eyes were wide, her throat dry, and her breaths ragged.

" _I am not a gentleman_!" James snapped in obvious shame and frustration. "I do not deserve the title - not when I planned on marrying someone I did not love merely for my own benefit!"

"Why not me?" Chloe asked before even realizing she was speaking.

James stared down at her in confusion. "Why not you what?"

"Why not use _me_ to become a part of my family?" Chloe's voice cracked, unable to believe she was asking this. "It was more than obvious to all that I had loved you since I was a child, so why not love me back? Or at least pretend to?" She licked her lips. "There was a time in my life in which being your wife was the only possible future I could envision, so why not use it, use me, to your advantage?"

James stared down at her in wide-eyed shock. "No." He let go of her arms as he took a step backwards and away from her. "You loved me as a sister. You trusted me to protect you, allowed me to be your friend and confidant, but your love was _not_ that of a woman!" He shook his head. "When I mentioned the idea of my starting a courtship you encouraged me to do so! You encouraged me the whole time with a large smile on your face!"

"I think I know what I felt better than you do!" She snapped, unable to believe him. "I was in love with you! You broke my heart!"

James shook his head rapidly in denial. " _No_. That is a lie. You-had you felt any sort of womanly affection for me you would have never encouraged me to go ahead and woo your sister! A woman in love would never-!" He turned his gaze on her once more. "I came to you that day! I asked you to walk with me in your garden, I held your arm in mine, stared deeply into your eyes, and told you that I was contemplating marrying someone I had watched for years… and you embraced me and told me you wished me the best of luck with Miss Lana!"

"I hugged you because I did not want you to see that I was about to cry!" Chloe threw her hands in the air. "It was not a surprise to me that you fancied my sister! I grew up watching you prefer her! Watching you watch her! I always knew in the back of my mind that you might one day choose to pursue your feelings for her and that should that happen I would have to let you go because even if you would not be _mine_ you would be-!"

" _Family_ …" James whispered in a haunted tone and looked away, pale and utterly shocked. He stumbled backwards and brought a hand to his head, looking like he was about to be ill. "I did not know. I believed you loved me as a brother. Had I known the truth of your feelings-!"

"You would not have wooed Lana so as to not hurt me, I know," Chloe interrupted, and continued on even when James opened his mouth to say something. "I always knew that, that was why I never told you the truth. I loved you and I wanted you to be happy. I loved you enough to want you to be with the woman you loved, even if it was not me!"

James looked, incredibly enough, like he wanted to cry. He shook his head, eyes wide. "Chloe, I-."

"It does not matter any longer, James. That was our past." She wouldn't have his pity, wouldn't have him apologizing for something that was not his fault. Things had happened the way they had, that was all. "I promised myself that I would learn to love you as a brother so it would not hurt so horribly." She reached out and gripped his trembling hand. "I apologize for my childish outburst earlier. It had nothing to do with you and everything to do with Will." She hated admitting that and couldn't look him in the eyes as she gripped his hand tighter. "I might not have loved him as long as I loved you, but it still hurt to have lost him." She smiled sadly. "I sometimes get defensive when I should not be, as I was to you earlier, because I…" her voice cracked and she cleared it. "It is silly, I know it, but that doesn't stop me from sometimes feeling that it does not matter who I love – they will never love me back – not how I wish they would at least."

James' hand in hers shook violently.

She looked up at him in worry and froze at what she saw.

James stared down at the sand, his face contorted, his eyes filled with tears and expression tortured. He looked like he desperately wanted to say something but was not allowing himself to. Instead, he yanked her towards him and wrapped his arms around her so tightly it hurt, but she didn't complain. No. As James buried his face in her hair she realized he was barely keeping himself together, and that his pride would never allow him to break down in front of her. Chloe clung to him as he clung to her. They didn't speak. Neither needed to.

Something changed between them that night, and it would take Chloe a very long time to realize exactly what it'd been.

* * *

Will clutched the railing so tightly his fingers hurt but he didn't even notice the pain as he gulped in greedy gulps of air. Nausea rolled in his stomach desperately. He could almost smell the scent of burning flesh.

Just how many times was he going to have that nightmare?

Head lowered, Will closed his eyes tightly, able to so clearly see Chloe's cabin on fire with her trapped inside. He couldn't get to her, couldn't save her, and in the worse versions of this reoccurring nightmare she didn't even try to save herself. In some of the nightmares they spoke, he yelled for her to try to the windows, or he tried to traverse the flames only to find himself unable to, but in the worse of the dreams Chloe merely sat there, staring blankly ahead of her, and cried as the flames consumed her body.

This had been one of those nights.

"You're depressing," a voice informed him.

Will peered towards the mast in time for Jack to emerge from the shadows. "Excuse me?"

"You take the fun out of raiding, pillaging, and pirating in general," Jack declared as he came to stand next to Will, gaze on the sea. "You mope. I do not condone such practices aboard the Pearl."

Will had no answer for that, just like he had no use for Jack. He sighed and took in a deep breath as he gazed onto the sea as well.

"She was just a wench," Jack declared with a flourish. "You've been with countless of them since you've joined us, have one in each island we visit, and yet you refuse to stop with the _pouting_." When Will wouldn't answer that, Jack resorted to a pout of his own. "She died at sea." When once more he was met with silence he pouted even deeper. "Davy Jones governs those who die at sea."

Will snorted, unable to believe Jack just couldn't take a hint and leave.

"What would you be willing to do to have young strumpet returned from the depths to you?" Jack pulled out his compass and looked at it in innocence, which meant he was absolutely conniving up some plan which probably had to do with him trying to trick Will into doing something for him. This was all probably connected to why he was acting so oddly.

Having known Jack as long as he had (which was much longer than he would've liked) Will was not about to fall for this. "What do you want, Jack? I have no patience for your games."

" _Captain_ ," Jack cleared his throat and shoved his compass into Will's hands. "See how the compass cannot find a bearing? You, like that compass, are aimless, have no direction or meaning, savvy? Breaks me heart it does, and out of the goodness of said heart I-."

Will raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? It's got a bearing."

Jack blinked. "Impossible." He dove behind Will and peered over his shoulder at the compass. "You want something more than you want her?" He shook his head and stumbled back to where he'd been before, expression shaken, as if something as fundamental as time had been destroyed in front of him. "I was _sure_ I could use…" He cleared his throat and tried for innocence once more as he eyed Will. "I mean to say that I did not believe that you would have something you desired more than you did damsel fair."

"There is nothing I desire more." Will clutched the compass tightly as he battled his fury.

"That compass says otherwise, mate."

"This compass is broken!" Will snapped. "It's never pointed north!"

"We were never trying to find _north_ , were we?" Jack asked as if Will was being childish. "You are lying to me and I know this without a doubt because should you be telling the truth that would mean—." Jack's eyes suddenly widened and then narrowed as he leaned in uncomfortably close to Will's face. "Hand on your heart – there is no greater desire in your eunuch's heart than to be reunited with the Blonde Swann?"

Will glared at him. "None."

Jack's eyes widened. "So your greatest desire is to be reunited with the kidnap-prone wench who has a penchant for appearing to be dead but not actually being dead, merely caught up in some fanciful situation involving magic and curses and -." His eyes widened. "-and who has a knack of turning curses so that they favor the ones cursed!" He lifted his hand, which Will only then realized was bandaged for some reason. "William, hold that compass! I need to find my map! We are changing course immediately!" And with that he raced off.

Will stared at Jack's quickly retreating back and wondered just what the devil had gotten into him.

* * *

"What is going on father?" Lois pushed passed the men stationed at the door and stormed inside to find her father and Lana surrounded by more armed men. Usually the presence of soldiers in their house wasn't something to be alarmed at, but the expression on her father's face, and that of Lana as she sat numbly on the sofa, made Lois take an instinctive step backwards. Something was wrong, something was terribly wrong.

"What _is_ this?" Father looked up from the missive he was reading towards a man in black whom she'd never seen before.

"It is a warrant of arrest for Lois Swann," the man declared.

Lois' eyes widened. _What_?

Father's eyes widened as well. "This warrant says _Lana_ Swann."

"Oh, how terribly embarrassing," a voice Lois had hoped she'd never hear again declared as the soldiers parted to reveal Cutler Beckett. He reached into his pocket and pulled out another missive. " _This_ must be the order for _Lois_ Swann's arrest." He grinned.

"What are the charges?" Lois wouldn't allow him to intimidate her, not in her own house.

" _Treason_ ," Lana whispered softly, hands clasped in the skirt of her dress.

"Where are Lucy Swann and Mister William Turner?" Cutler wanted to know. "Mr Mercer and I have warrants in their names as well."

"They left months ago," Lois responded, chin held high. "We have not heard from them since."

"So we heard," Mr Mercer, the man in black, sneered as he turned to father. "The only child you had that was any good is the dead one, I see."

Fury blossomed in father's eyes.

Lois stepped forwards and kept her own fury contained because Cutler's man was antagonizing them on purpose, wanted them to do something that would put them in an even greater disadvantage. "We are not traitors to the crown."

"You drugged His Majesty's finest, freed a pirate, helped said pirate steal one of our best ships, and then sailed with a pirate crew," Cutler declared with that sharp, disgusting glint in his eyes. "After having done all the above how can you possibly believe you are not traitors to the crown?"

"There were extenuating circumstances!" Father stood tall as he moved towards the other man. "Listen here now Beckett, those charges were dropped!"

"It is _Lord_ Beckett now, actually, and His Majesty King George has decided that this is a matter that warrants further investigation. We cannot have the people of the realms believing they can carry out acts of piracy without any sort of justified retribution," Cutler responded haughtily before he turned to the soldiers. "Escort the young miss Swanns to our nicest cells."

Lana looked around her in horror as she was yanked up from the sofa and clapped in irons.

Lois shrugged away from the touch of one of the soldiers yet held her hands out for them to clap the irons on. She wouldn't cry, wouldn't react, wouldn't give Cutler any sort of joy in seeing her discomfort. Instead she stared him straight in him beady little eyes and smiled.

Cutler's own smile slipped for a second before he cleared his throat and turned towards her father when he tried to step forwards and stop what was going on.

"Take your hands off of my daughters!" Father yelled yet his advance was blocked by the soldiers. He was unable to do anything but watch and protest vehemently as the soldiers escorted Lois and Lana out of their homes like common criminals.

"What are we going to do?" Lana whispered to Lois in worry as they were thrown into the back of a guarded carriage to be taken to the jail. "They will find us guilty of treason, and the only punishment for that is death." Tears filled her eyes. "We are going to die!"

"We are not going to die." Lois gazed down at her bound wrists before she rose her hazel gaze to rest squarely on the soldiers who entered the carriage. "Father will not allow it. He will make Cutler see that he cannot get away with something like this just out of spite."

"He said that he would make you regret not agreeing to marry him," Lana reminded worriedly. "I cannot believe that he is such a horrid little rat to take revenge this way!"

Lois didn't answer, instead she peered out of the window of the carriage as it began to move. There was no way that she'd survived pirates and the undead to be killed on the command of someone like Cutler Beckett. No. She needed to escape, and so did Lana. But _how_?

 _Think like Jack - THINK LIKE JACK!_ Lois bit down on her bottom lip. _What would Jack Sparrow do?_

* * *

 **TBC**


	5. Reunion

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

* * *

Jack Sparrow glanced up from the black spot which marked his palm, to the island the compass had brought them to.

Something sounded in the water and Jack instinctively ducked behind some barrels. Moments passed in silence without any attack or glimpse of tentacles, so he pulled himself up. He didn't notice the odd looks the crew gave him as he tiptoed to the side of the ship and peered into the dark waters to find nothing there.

Sighing in relief, Jack leaned against the railing and bandaged up his marked hand once more. That girl better be alive and on that island. Sure, if she wasn't he'd find a way to trick Will into going to Davy Jones in his place, but he would prefer if he could keep the boy around. True, he was depressing as hell, but he was the best swordsman Jack had onboard. But if push came to shove Jack had no qualms in sacrificing Will, it wasn't as if the lad was really living anyway.

Jack turned to once more stare at the shore. It was brightly lit and even from this distance they could hear music. There must be a festival going on, and one that drew in outsiders because there was another ship in the dock - it appeared to be a trading vessel.

"Cannot wait for some pretty women and dancing," one of the men declared.

"The Cap'n sure thought about us!" Another agreed.

This had nothing to do about them and everything to do with him, but Jack wasn't above letting them believe otherwise.

* * *

Chloe hadn't dressed up in a very long time, but it felt right and wonderful to do so right now. Her hair was loose and she wore a gift one of the women had given her which tied seashells around her locks. The shells clinked softly when she moved, and she smelt of the sea. She loved it. It went with the sea-shell colored dress she wore, which was plain yet beautiful in her eyes.

James had dressed in a new shirt and the breeches she loved him in. His shoulder-length brunet curls (which she was finally used to) were held back with a leather string and he also smelt of the sea.

They mingled with the villagers as the music and singing filled the air. The night was filled with laughter and merriment. Some people sang, some played instruments, others clapped their hands to the beat of the music while others tended to the bonfires which lit the night sky. Ale was handed out and chugged with happiness as dancing began.

James moved away from her to speak to Seamus. Their friendship was the oddest thing Chloe had ever seen, but she appreciated it because no longer did Seamus drunkenly beg her for kisses or serenade her. She didn't know what James had told him, but the guy had cleaned up his act and acted like a gentleman.

"Will ye be singing for us tonight, Miss Calypso?" Harridan wanted to know.

Chloe's flushed. "I do not sing for a crowd."

"But you _must_ ," Victoria declared with a cry. "Please!"

"I really couldn't," Chloe hedged.

"But Miss Calypso—!" Someone declared from behind her.

"'Scuse me," Ernest's voice interrupted the mayhem. He was scrubbed clean and dressed better than she'd ever seen him, and yet the ten year old was clearly still up to mischief if the glint in his eyes has anything to say about it. "Reckon we could dance?"

Before anyone could say anything, Chloe accepted Ernest's arm gratefully and nearly dragged him off to where the others danced.

"I figured yuh could use some saving," Ernest whispered to her as he leaned in.

Smiling down fondly at the the kid, Chloe pulled away to lower into a curtsy. "My savior."

Ernest pouted and blushed. "See if I will save yuh any more if yuh keep teasing me."

Laughing, Chloe rose from her curtsy. She wasn't sure how they segued into the dancing but they did, and dance after dance she danced with the ten year old boy, able to relax and forget about the others or the whispers around her. Ernest forgave her around the third song because by the fourth he was swinging her around with glee and confiding to her that she was a much finer dance partner than his usual partner - who so happened to be his eighty year old grandmother.

Finally, by the end of the fourth song, Ernest bowed ridiculously low, probably his own way of getting back at her for her curtsey, his cheeks read and his grin large. "My feet are killing me!" And with that he turned to motion with his head towards someone, clearly calling them over.

Chloe followed his gaze to find James leaning against a tree, watching them with a fond smile on his face. At Ernest's call, James pushed away from the tree and came towards them.

"Kept an eye on her to make sure the others did nah crowd her, just like yuh asked me to," Ernest informed James. "When I saw them starting to encircle her I dove right in."

"Good lad, I am indebted to you," James declared.

Ernest grinned. "You sure are! She danced me feet right off!" And then, with a cheeky wink to Chloe, Ernest ran away into the crowd, presumably to sit down somewhere.

Chloe's green eyes turned on James in intrigued. "You asked him to look after me?"

James stood straighter. "I figured the locals might press you while I made my rounds."

Unable to keep her smile from her lips, Chloe turned her gaze on the dancers on their either side before they returned to James. She reached her hand out towards him. "May I have this dance?"

His lips twitched. "In polite society _I_ would be the one to ask _you_."

She didn't respond to that, merely raised an eyebrow.

James visibly bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning and instead tried to look exasperated as he let out a deep breath and took her hand in his. "It would appear that you are not content with merely dancing the feet off of poor young Ernest." He led her deeper into the midst of the dancers. "So, out of concern for my fellow man, I shall have to accept."

Laughter escaped her lips as James suddenly, and without warning, swept her up into the tempo of the dancers, easily joining the others. "You are such a martyr, James Norrington, a veritable saint."

"Well…" He pulled her a little closer than was proper. "As long as you recognize it."

Chloe threw her head back, James' laughter mingling with hers.

* * *

Her sister was alive.

Lucy's ship had just arrived maybe twenty minutes ago and she'd had Mervin take her to Calypso's house, but upon finding no one there they'd returned to the village to search those partying, and Lucy had finally found her. There Chloe was, dancing with some fellow who looked vaguely familiar. Whoever he was he wasn't Will but Lucy had the feeling she'd seen him somewhere before, although she couldn't place where.

He wasn't important though, no, it was Chloe. She looked so differently from the last time Lucy had seen her, it left her shellshocked. Gone was the pale, regal looking woman with the long golden locks and the sadness she was trying to hide behind a smile despite how painfully obvious it was in her eyes that she wanted to cry. Replacing that Chloe was one with skin slightly darkened from time spent under the sun. She wore simple clothes, and other than her necklace her only adornment were shells worn in her hair - which was only breast-length now. Yet it wasn't Chloe's clothes or her hair which had Lucy so frozen in shock, no, it was the way she smiled, the way her eyes flashed, the way she kept throwing her head back and _laughing_.

Chloe was _happy_.

 _Gi was right_.

Lucy wondered whether Chloe had felt this bone-deep shock when she'd seen Lucy in the Captain's Bride. This was so removed from what Lucy imagined when she thought of her sister, and yet she didn't think she'd ever seen her so happy, so vibrant, so visibly _free_.

The drums grew louder as the flutes and other instruments livened up.

The fellow dancing with Chloe surprised the blonde by picking her up by the hips and twirling her up in the air before allowing her bare feet to touch the sand once more. Chloe's eyes were wide, as was her smile as she continued to dance with him. She only had eyes for him, and he seemed to feel quite the same way towards her.

"Such a brave man," one of the people close to Lucy whispered to someone else. "Tis a dangerous thing to grow enamored with a goddess."

"Especially of the sea!" The person next to them agreed. "You know how changeable the sea is!"

"Changeable or not, she seems ta like the lad jus fine, or so I reckon," an old man cut into the conversation with a gruff voice.

"True," the first agreed as she turned to look at Chloe and the guy she was dancing with. "And they make a handsome couple."

"Imagine the children," the second giggled.

The first giggled as well.

The older man harrumphed.

 _Children_? Lucy raised an eyebrow as she trained her eyes on the dancing couple. _Chloe, why did you let us believe you were dead? Do you love your life here so much that you did not want us interfering?_

* * *

What were they doing there?

Will could see the same question on the others' faces as they mingled with the festive islanders, but unlike most of Jack's crew Will wasn't happy to have a night off to just enjoy himself at a conveniently planned island festival. No. Jack had brought them here for a reason, and from the way Jack made him hold onto the broken compass - and kept looking at the compass and peering around at those dancing and singing - Jack wasn't exactly sure what they were here for or where it was either.

And how exactly was a broken compass supposed to help them find anything? Will had never quite understood that.

Having about had it with Jack and his many wild goose chases, Will turned to shove the compass into Jack's hands and storm back to the ship when he glanced down and saw the compass' pointer. It was acting oddly. While it'd been straight and still as they'd sailed towards this island, it now danced from one direction to the other.

Frowning, Will turned to face the direction it was currently trembling in. He glanced up and froze as a couple appeared in his line of sight. The man was tall, wearing worn yet neat and clean garbs, but he wasn't who caught Will's attention. No. It was the girl.

Laughter poured from her lips as Chloe Swann twirled around and around and around. It couldn't be. She could not be there. He was hallucinating! He'd finally gone insane! Will glanced down to find the compass' pointer following her movements, and suddenly Jack's comments before made sense. This compass did not point north! It pointed to what one wanted to find most in the world! That was why Jack had been so shocked to find that the compass had a bearing - why he'd made sure that there was nothing else Will wanted more! It'd meant that what Will wanted to find most was still amongst the living… that meant that…

Will's eyes widened as he glanced back up and nearly dropped the compass in the sand.

That was Chloe. She was _alive_!

And suddenly he realized what that meant. She had allowed them to believe she was dead. They'd mourned her for a whole year while she lived here and seemed so incredibly happy dancing with the man who was partially hidden from sight by the shadows of the night.

Will's grip on the compass tightened painfully. He'd shoved it into his pocket and found himself pushing through the crowd towards the dancers before he even realized what was happening. The dancers switched partners over and over against as the rhythmic clapping added to the growing sound, Will was blind and deaf to this, and slipped into the dancing mob. He shifted from partner to partner, watching Chloe as she shifted rapidly from partner to partner as well, the blonde completely oblivious to his presence.

The people separated into groups of two and spun in large circles. A buxom, overly eager woman ended up on Will's arm but his ignored her, gaze on Chloe who spun on an elderly man's arm, and then, after a couple of minutes the partners were quickly exchanged once more. Despite never having been one for dancing Will worked his way towards Chloe, and right before they separated into partners once more he stepped in front of the man who should've been Chloe's partner.

Chloe spun towards him, smile large and the fire dancing on her face, giving him a perfect view of the utter shock that filled her green eyes as she came to a halt in front of him. " _Will_?"

He didn't answer, merely grabbed her hand and swept her in close with his other before forcing them into the dance. The shock never left Chloe's expression, confusion mixed in with it, but there wasn't any of the guilt that he'd expected. She could tell that with every spin he danced them further and further away from the rest of the crowd and into the darkened beach, and he could read apprehension on her face, but there was also curiosity there.

She wasn't acting like someone who'd made her friends and loved ones believe she was dead for a whole year.

Finally, once they were away from the others, and bathed in shadows, Will stopped dancing and just looked down at her.

Chloe stepped back and out of his grip, her face half bathed in moonlight, half in shadows as she stared up at him. "Are you really here?"

"I could say the same about you," he finally spoke, his voice low. "You look very lively for a dead woman."

The surprise and confusion that covered her face could not be faked. "What do you mean _dead woman_?"

It was staring down at her that Will's resentment and anger evaporated as quickly as he'd first felt them. She didn't know. And yet he couldn't keep the harsh tone from his voice when he asked: "What did you expect we would believe with no word from you in all this time? Everyone believes that you were killed in a fire on The Wanderer, and—."

"No word?" Chloe interrupted, confusion spiked with frustration clear in her tone. "I have written six letters! I sent them to both Port Royal _and_ Tortuga! It is _them_ who do not write back to _me_!"

" _Six letters_?" Will's eyes widened.

"I have the seventh half finished back home," she confessed softly. "I contemplated not reaching out anymore, my family have most likely disowned me for deciding not to go with Aunt Gwendolyn, but—."

" _How could you think that_?" Another voice asked, hurt.

Will saw his own shock mirrored on Chloe's face as they both turned to see Lucy Swann emerge from the shadows. She was dressed in drag - to be fair by now Will found her dressing like a woman the odder sight - and visibly barely managing to keep a lid on her emotions.

" _Lou_?" Chloe's eyes filled with tears. She took one step, two, and when Lucy flung her arms open Chloe raced into them. The sisters burst out crying as they held each other tightly, both talking loudly and at the same time to the point where their words were indistinguishable.

A small smile tilted the ends of Will's lips. While a part of him would've wanted Chloe to himself for a little bit longer Lucy had suffered just as badly as he had, mourning Chloe's death, and she was his best friend. Being able to see her rejoice this profusely, and see Chloe's tears of joy, was beautiful in its own way.

Something sounded in the darkness and Chloe looked up, her face contorting into a large smile. "Look who is here!"

Someone cleared his throat. "When I heard some stranger had spirited you away I grew worried." James Norrington moved into the moonlight, a far cry from the man Will remembered. Like Chloe he was more commonly clothed, although the worn jacket he wore appeared to be one of his old uniforms. "I am most happy that you have come in answer to Chloe's many letters, Miss Lucy." He seemed to recognize Lucy despite the fact that she was in drag. "She was beginning to fear that you had shunned her."

" _Norrington_?" Lucy whispered in shock before going to hug him.

James Norrington blinked in surprise before patting Lucy's back.

Will stood frozen in place as he stared at the other man. What was he doing here? _Why_ was he here? With Chloe? On this island? How had he known that she was alive while the rest of them thought her dead?

The resentment and anger he'd felt before returned tenfold and he couldn't muster even the fakest of smiles for the man when he glanced in his direction.

"Mister Turner." James straightened, his face also visibly lacking any sort of friendly greeting.

"Mister Norrington," Will muttered. "What are you doing here?"

" _Will_!" Chloe turned to him in shock.

He stood his ground, his gaze on Norrington. There was something different about the man and Will couldn't figure out what it was. But whatever it was it left him highly uncomfortable and on the alert.

"He has a point though, Chlo," Lucy declared before she turned to Norrington. "How did you find her? We did not even know she was alive!"

Norrington turned his gaze on Lucy. "To be frank, Miss Lucy, Chloe was the one who found me."

"More like James was ill and his shipmates left him in my charge so he could heal," Chloe declared, and smiled at the look Norrington sent her. They were having a silent conversation, Norrington appearing both grateful and ashamed, while Chloe shook her head at him with a smile on her face. "He has graciously stayed on and helped me at the inn, I would not even be as close to where I am if it was not for his help."

"Yes you would," James countered.

"Not without a good's night sleep I would not," she argued. "And you have had so many good ideas that I've incorporated."

"My merely doing what the other men should have and taken Seamus aside—," Norrington began, hands clasped behind his back.

"You have done much more than that for me and you know it," Chloe grumbled at him.

"That might be true, but you have done much more for me than I could ever repay you for," Norrington declared.

"The only thing I have done is given you board and food!" Chloe countered. "You, on the other hand, have done so much for me! You do all the heavy lifting, and you bargain prices with the locals, and you have started to learn how to fish from Seamus so we do not have to buy fish, and you have started the corral so that Starfish can be more protected from the weather, and—."

"It was all for my own enjoyment, I assure you," Norrington responded.

Chloe anchored her hands on her hips. "How can manual labor be for your own enjoyment?"

"A gentleman will not die if he learns to become useful," Norrington said in an odd tone.

Chloe bit her on her bottom lip to keep from smiling, obviously trying to scowl at him despite the amusement she felt.

It was like watching an old married couple bicker, and it hurt to watch. Will wasn't sure exactly what was going on, or what exact circumstances had brought them all here at this very moment, but it was more than obvious that while the rest of them were mourning Chloe and trying to accustom themselves to the fact that she was dead and never coming back - Norrington had grown closer. There was an undertone between him and Chloe that hadn't been there before, one that made Will want to scream.

"You run an _inn_?" Lucy squeaked, as if that was the weirdest part of all of this.

Will instead focused on the ease between Chloe and Norrington. They cared about each other, they always had, and any real gentleman would back away and concede defeat. "I have been traveling with Jack."

Three pairs of eyes turned to look at him in shock.

" _Really_?" Lucy made a face. " _That_ is where you disappeared to? So how come you never came to visit when he did?"

"Jack _Sparrow_?" Norrington asked in clarification.

"Why would you do something like that?" Chloe wanted to know in utter consternation. "What about your trade? You wanted to build your brand! You wanted to show Port Royal the truth about the creations they treasured! Wanted to show them that it was _your_ talent and not Brown's that they were reaping the benefits of!" She stepped away from Norrington and Lucy, her gaze and attention solely on Will. "Why would you just up and leave Port Royal like that?"

"Because I thought you were dead," he responded softly. "I had pushed you to leave and I thought that had killed you. I could not stay."

Horror struck her visibly. "I made you turn to a life of piracy?" She brought her hand to her lips. " _Will_. I am so sorry! I swear to you that I did not know that everyone believed me dead!" Tears filled her eyes. "I ruined your life again."

What? Will stared at her in confusion, and then he remembered the cruel words - the utter lies - he'd used to make her leave. She still believed them, still thought that he'd resented her for _getting kidnapped_. He stepped closer to her to clear things up, to confess the truth to her no matter the witnesses, but just as he opened his mouth they were once more interrupted.

"Is everything all right here, Miss Calypso?" The sound of sand crunching under multiple feet betrayed the arrival of several men from the village, no longer jovial, instead faces hardened.

"When Mister Norrington did nah return we came ta see if he needed our help," another declared, his eyes narrowed on Will and Lucy. "Are these two botherin' you?"

Norrington had won over the locals. Just _how_ busy had he been since the last time Will had seen him?

"It is fine, gentlemen," Norrington declared after a quick look in Will's direction. "These are old acquaintances of Miss Calypso's and mine."

"Dear friends," Chloe agreed as she wiped her eyes and plastered a smile on her face, turning from Will to face the others. "This is William Turner, and this is Lou Swann. I have known them both since they were children."

Understanding dawned on the villagers as their hostility dissipated.

"Ah, pardon the intrusion then, Miss Calypso!" One of the men declared.

"Not at all." Chloe beamed at them as she wrapped an arm around Lucy's arm. "Your friendship warms me."

The men all blushed, obviously pleased with themselves.

"Now, let us return to dancing!" Chloe grinned and yanked Lucy behind her as the girls and the men returned to the festival.

Will didn't move.

Neither did Norrington.

They didn't look at each other, but it was more than obvious to both as to why they'd stayed behind.

"The locals believe Chloe is the sea goddess Calypso," Norrington's first words shocked Will into turning to look at him. "I would appreciate it if you and the others refer to her using that name whilst on this island. I do not want the locals feeling betrayed, I do not know how they would react."

"Why would they believe she is a sea goddess?" And then Will realized why. "She still brings in the fish."

"Or so the locals believe." There was something odd in his tone. "How long do you and Jack Sparrow intend on being on island?"

Will sneered. "Why? Do you wish to arrest Jack and regain your position in His Majesty's Service?"

Norrington chuckled darkly. "The thought is highly tempting, but you forget, Mister Turner, that I am a strategist. It would be unwise to try apprehend Jack Sparrow when he has a crew of lawless pirates with him on this very island, and I have a peaceful people who I would not bring into a battle they would not leave with their lives - a fight which is not their own."

Will frowned as he stared at the other man. "Why are you here?"

Norrington raised an eyebrow. "Why are _you_ here?"

Will clenched his hands at his sides. "You broke her heart."

"So did you," Norrington countered, hands still clasped behind his back. "The only difference between us is that I did so _unknowingly_."

"I was doing what I thought was best for her!" Will snapped as he took two steps towards Norrington. "I thought her life would be better if I was not in it! It was the gentlemanly thing to do!"

The man raised an eyebrow, not at all intimidated. "Then, I repeat my previous question: _Why are you here_?"

Will's clenched fists shook before suddenly a calmed understanding washed over him and he chuckled softly. "Because I am not a gentleman any longer." He grinned. "I am a pirate." And with that he moved to join the others.

* * *

 **TBC**


	6. WWJD 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

* * *

Chloe forced herself to enjoy the festivities with her sister. At the back of her mind, and in the pit of her stomach, she felt sick, but didn't allow it to interrupt the celebration. While half of her mourned the fact that she had once more caused Will harm unknowingly, the other reminded her that William Turner was an adult, and that his choices had been his own. She couldn't blame herself for them, especially when she'd done all in her power to contact her family and let them know that she was alive. How six letters could've gone astray were beyond her, but they had, and it wasn't her fault. It _wasn't_.

Anyway, Captain Jack Sparrow and James Norrington were on the same island, that was enough to keep most of her attention focused away from Will.

Also, Jack kept trying to "accidentally" cut her. Jack Sparrow was no actor, and his attempts at subtlety were completely lacking, so by the fifth attempt she merely grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him away from the others into the darkness of the beach, where they were alone with only the moon to shine down on them.

Jack stumbled behind her, eyes wide, hands up. "Now, Blonde Swann, I am _flattered_ , but out of the four of you only your saucy eldest sister holds my fancy!" He slapped her hands away from his person and straightened his shirt. "Please, somehow control your hormones. I know that you have not seen a _real_ man in far so long and you are absolutely _desperate_ for me to place my arms—."

"Oh, shut up Jack." Chloe rolled her eyes. "You are _far_ from my type."

"Of course, lovey." He smiled, obviously not believing her one bit. "You tell yourself that if it makes you feel better."

Taking in a deep breath, Chloe anchored her hands on her hips. "You want to tell me _why_ you have been trying to bleed me all night?"

His eyes widened and he turned away, looking innocent. "No."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I will tell Lois that you tried to kiss me."

Jack's eyes widened in horror. "A lady like you would do no such foul thing!"

"Look at me, Jack," Chloe ordered as she stood as tall as she could. "Do I _look_ like a lady to you?"

He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before folding his arms over his chest and pouting. "I need your blood."

"Yes, I figured that much," she snorted. "I just do not understand _why_."

With an overly-exaggeratedly put-out expression, Jack unwound the cloth from his hand to reveal a dark spot smack dab in the middle of his palm. "This be Davy Jones' work. I made a deal with him to raise me Pearl when she was set alit and sunk by one of the evilest men I will ever know. I was promised a set amount of years as her captain before his accursed beast would be set against me." He scoffed. "Considering I only spent two of those years as captain before the Pearl was stolen by that blackhearted fiend of a first mate I feel doubly cheated."

Okay. This was starting to make sense! "You want to use my blood to somehow alter your curse like it did that of Barbossa and his crew."

"And how I see it, you owe me for coming to your rescue," he announced proudly.

"And how _I_ see it, you only came to 'save me' to get the Pearl back - which you did, so we are even," she responded evenly. "So, that given, what is in it for me?"

He flinched, obviously not having expected that reasoning. "What sort of person asks what's in it to help someone else?"

She raised an eyebrow.

He broke out into a large grin. "Yeah, I could nah keep a straight face meself." He pointed a ringed finger at her. "You sure you do not have pirate in yer blood? You act more like it than William does." He made a face at the thought. "He is so… _proper_."

 _Tell_ ** _me_** _about it!_ "So, Jack Sparrow, what is in it for me to risk myself like that to help you?"

"A clean conscience?" Jack offered.

"My conscience is pretty clean right now," she offered right back.

He pursed his lips in thought. "How would you like to own an undead simeon?"

Chloe's eyes widened. "You have Jack?" She stepped forwards. "And he's still immortal? _How_?"

"Apparently he stole another doubloon from the chest before the island disappeared into the sea," Jack muttered. "I can not get him off of my damned Pearl, and no matter how many times I shoot him he will not die."

* **Do it** * the Voice ordered.

 _But using my blood tied me to Barbossa and his crew,_ Chloe worried. _What if it ties me to Jack?_

* **Do it** * the Voice repeated.

"Although, I must admit shooting him can be quite _therapeutic_ ," Jack muttered to himself.

Chloe glared at him. "Deal."

His eyes widened, he looked shocked and so giddy it was almost funny. "You will take him? _Truly_? Do you _promise_?"

"Yes. Anything to keep you from _shooting_ him." She took in a deep breath and paused as she eyed him. "Then again, it seems as if I would be doing you a _favor_ if I took Jack, so I—."

"Take the damned creature as a boon!" Jack begged her. "The monkey and a favor." He grinned, all teeth, some golden, some not. "Not many can say they have the great Captain Jack Sparrow owe them!"

"Is that so?" She raised an eyebrow. "From what I have heard, you owe quite a couple of pirates."

He grinned sheepishly. "Let me rephrase - not many can say Captain Jack Sparrow owes them _a favor_."

She eyed him thoughtfully. "If I do this, swear to me by the Black Pearl that you will owe me a favor, and that no matter what it is, you will follow through."

Jack flinched. "You drive a strong bargain." He reached out to grab her hand and promise.

Chloe yanked her hand away at the very last second. "Think this through, Sparrow. Remember that I am not just a pirate you can con. I have come back from the dead, I have the power to alter curses, to do things you cannot even imagine…" okay, she might be putting on airs right now, but she needed to scare him. "Do not swear to me in jest or you will prefer whatever Davy Jones has awaiting you."

Jack gulped and pulled his own hand back, almost afraid. He narrowed his eyes on her hand and took in a deep breath, obviously weighing his options, before he groaned, shoulders slumped in defeat as he reached his hand out. "I swear by my Pearl that I will owe you a favor, and no matter what it is, or when you come to collect, I will come through for you."

Chloe smiled, and yanked a blade out of a hidden pocket of her dress. She slit her palm and took Jack's hand in a tight shake, cementing their deal.

Above them the previously serene sky clashed lightning and thunder seconds before a ripple of _something_ raced through Chloe's body, and everything went black.

* * *

 _A handsome young pirate disembarked from a magnificent ship. He glanced around the beach, excitement in his eyes as he searched for someone. "Calypso?" He called out as he ventured forwards, feet deep in the sand. "Calypso, where are you?"_

 _The man searched and searched, calling her name until his smile had been replaced by a broken expression._

 _Hours passed, he called, he searched, he waited, but no one came._

 _He finally collapsed to his knees on the beach, a man defeated. "_ ** _Calypso_** _."_

* * *

Will leaned against the wall and watched as Norrington returned from having seen the doctor out. Norrington collapsed on the seat next to Chloe's bed tiredly and watched her with concern. It wasn't worry, not truly, much more muted. It made Will feel that this wasn't the first time that Norrington had sat in that chair and sat watch over Chloe as she slept in that bed.

He clenched his fists.

"Exhaustion?" Lucy sat on the bed next to Chloe's sleeping body.

"This has been known to happen," Norrington confirmed Will's suspicions. "This time though… What the devil did Sparrow _do_?"

Jack was also unconscious in another room. He seemed perfectly fine - just snored a lot and mentioned Lois once or twice in a manner that made Lucy slap the sleeping man (the fact that Jack didn't wake up proved to them that it was more than a normal drunken stupor).

Will's body was beyond tense at this point. He was about to smack Jack as much as needed to wake him up and demand answers when, quite unexpectedly, Chloe sat up in bed, eyes wide.

Everyone shifted their attention to her at once.

She glanced around her before her gaze rested on her palm, which the doctor had stitched and bandaged.

"What happened?" Lucy wanted to know. "Did Jack try to hurt you?"

Chloe shook her head numbly before her gaze turned to Norrington and met his blue gaze. Will could see a question in Norrington's eyes as he glanced quickly towards the sea and back, and when Chloe nodded, Norrington covered his face with a groan.

Will's eyes narrowed on the silence conversation they'd had. Just how close had they gotten during this time?

"What is going on?" Lucy asked suspiciously, having obviously picked up on the same thing Will had.

The door flew open and Jack appeared, exuberant. He flashed his two unmarred hands at Chloe and then winked at her while giving her a thumbs up. "I am going to get you the infernal beast! Good riddance!" And with that he _skipped_ away while humming happily to himself.

Will looked after him, confused. What had that been about?

Chloe groaned as she stood from the bed. "I am going for a swim."

"Probably for the best," Norrington muttered confusingly as he stood as well. "I will stand guard against sharks."

Chloe's lips twitched in amusement.

Will's did not. It was highly improper for Norrington to expect to be present while she swam. The water would cause Chloe's garments to stick to her body. No real gentleman would make that offer, and while Norrington was no longer a Commodore Will had never thought the man would ever stop being a gentleman. He was more and more uneasy the longer he stayed in their company.

"I will go," Lucy declared as she too stood.

Norrington agreed with a nod before he turned to Chloe. "Before your dip - may I have a word in private?"

"Of course you may." Acting as if she hadn't just suffered a mysterious coma, Chloe took Norrington's arm and turned to Lucy. "I will be right back." With that they walked away, voices low as they spoke to each other.

Lucy moved towards Will, eyes on their backs. "There is more going on than they are telling us."

"That much is obvious," Will agreed.

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "I will see what I can get out of her while we swim."

"I will speak to him," Will muttered, unhappy with the thought but determined to do so nonetheless.

Decided to get to the bottom of this, the best friends nodded to each other.

* * *

Lois wasn't surprised when, after days of imprisonment, she was finally brought before Cutler Beckett. He'd made sure she had days without bathing, without a good night's sleep or a decent meal, before she could be brought before him. All of this was meant to punish her, to humiliate and bring her a peg down. A man like him wasn't used to not getting what he wanted, and for some reason he'd wanted her. He'd never forgiven her for not wanting him back.

A banquet laid before her on the table, tempting, punishing. Cutler ate easily and barely looked up at her when the guards left her at the door and locked it behind them when they left.

Lois' stomach hurt with hunger but she refused to move from her spot, refused to give him the pleasure of seeing her pain.

He finally looked up and motioned to the seat next to his before he reached for a delicious smelling roll. "Come, sit with me and break your fast."

"No thank you." She smiled pleasantly. "I am not hungry."

He looked back at her with amusement. "Is that so? Well, good for you, I, on the other hand, am _famished_." He took a deliberate bite of that roll.

Lois licked her lips and clenched her fists yet stayed strong. "Why am I here, Lord Beckett? If you do not have anything important to tell me I would like to be escorted back to my cell."

Cutler eyed her. "Are you enjoying your stay in our jail, Miss Swan? If so, I do say that we need to rethink what we are doing wrong." At her persistent silence he raised an eyebrow. "Do you _wish_ to swing from a hangman's noose? Do you wish to watch your sister suffer the same fate?"

"Of course not," she huffed, impatient.

"Then please, sit, eat." He motioned once more to the seat.

Fighting the urge to growl, Lois did as told and sat down on the seat. The only reason she was obeying this monster was because he held her and Lana's lives in his grubby little hands. "So I assume you want something from me." She peered down at the plate filled with delicacies in front of her. "If you think I know where Jack is you will be sorely disappointed. The last I saw him was on Isla de Muerta." That, of course, was a lie, but there was no way he would know that.

"My interest in having you dine with me is in no way related to your brief acquaintance with that pirate," he assured her. "Although, you _must_ tell me what it was like being on Isla de Muerta."

Was this all about the island? "I could not lead you or your men to that accursed place even if I wanted to."

He smiled, it was all teeth and no warmth. "Of course you could not, it fell into the sea months ago."

Lois' eyes widened in shock. It had _what_?

"I see you did not know," he declared smugly. "As you see, I am better informed than you would expect."

Lois ignored the food in front of her, ignored the pain in her stomach, ignored it when it growled and betrayed her hunger to this monster. "If you do not want me to tell you about Jack, or about the island, then, Lord Beckett, why am I here?"

"You call me Lord Beckett and yet that pirate you call by his christian name." Despite his congenial tone, displeasure shone in his eyes. "How intriguing."

She took in a deep breath. "You implied that our conversation would be about what I can do to keep my sister and I from swinging from a noose."

"That I did," he agreed and leaned with his elbows on the table, his hands clasped under his chin. "Once upon a time you had a choice between marriage to me or not." He smiled. "Now you do not." His smile grew. "Unless, of course, you truly _do_ 'prefer to die' rather than to marry me like you oh so passionately declared when I previously asked for your hand in marriage."

Lois wanted to snarl. She wanted to scream. She wanted to grab the knife by her plate and stab it deep into his neck. How dare he? He was forcing her to marry him or die! He was worse of a monster than she had ever imagined!

 _What would Jack do?_

She could probably get a couple of good hits into Cutler before his men burst in through the doors. But she and Lana would definitely hang afterwards.

 _What would Jack do?_

She might even surprise Cutler enough to actually stab him, like she'd previously imagined. Lana and herself still hung though - moreso after killing the little rat.

 _What would Jack do?_

She might even stab herself - save herself - but that would only doom Lana to hang alone.

 _What would Jack do_?

"I accept." Lois reached for her fork and knife, and instead of using them against him, began to cut up the delicacies on her plate before placing a bite-full into her mouth.

Cutler Beckett seemed somewhat surprised, eyebrow raised and head tilted as he eyed her. "I expected some… fight."

"Why?" She wanted to know after chewing and swallowing her bite. "You rightly declared that I have no other choice, none that is acceptable anyway." She cut another piece of the delicious meat. "Plus, unlike when you delivered your first proposal, at least you have a _title_ now."

"I did not realize the _lure_ of being Lady Beckett," Cutler declared with dark amusement.

"Let me be frank with you, Cutler," she announced as her eyes met his. "The last time you proposed you did not deserve to marry someone like me, not someone of my breeding and position in society. It was an _insult_. At least _this_ time you have some appeal to you."

"I was born into a wealthy family," he reminded her.

"Not wealthy enough." She placed another piece of meat into her mouth and chewed as she gazed ahead of her thoughtfully. "I did not spend years tending to my father's affairs and his household to be anything less than a _Lady_."

Cutler eyed her and nodded his head as he raised a cup. "To our engagement."

Lois raised her own cup. "To my engagement ring."

Cutler blinked before he toasted and took a long sip of his drink.

Taking a long gulp of her own cup, Lois fought the smirk that threatened to spill on her lips.

This was _exactly_ what Jack would do.

* * *

"Was it the Voice?" James asked the second they were out of hearing, his gaze on Chloe's face.

She nodded. "She ordered me to, James."

"What did you do, exactly?" He wanted to know.

She took in a deep breath, clearly anticipating a bad reaction on his part. "Jack made a deal with Davy Jones, who has come collecting and left a mark on him - a curse so to speak. Jack asked me to use my blood to somehow alter it like I did that of Barbossa's crew."

"Can you do that?" James' eyes widened.

She shrugged. "His mark disappeared."

He frowned. "If I remember right, you told me that when your blood was used with Barbossa's crew it tied you to them." At Chloe's wince he glared. " _Chloe_!"

"I did not have a _choice_ , James!" She hissed and pulled closer. "She _told_ me to! Until I fulfill her purpose for me I _have_ to do whatever she wants me to!"

James groaned as he closed his eyes tightly. "Is the mark on you?"

She shook her head. "No, I checked when I woke up."

He took in a deep breath and opened his head as he nodded. "Okay. Whatever happens as a result of this we will deal with it."

Chloe stared up at him and smiled softly. "We will?"

He nodded once more. "Of course."

Her smiled grew as she rested her cheek against his arm. "On the bright side, I made Jack mine."

James frowned, eyes wide, disgust and horror mixing in his stomach. "Why would you want that no good, bottom of the sea filth?" Forget what he'd said to Will earlier, he didn't care about the trouble he'd get in, he was going to destroy Sparrow! Because of Sparrow James he'd lost his father's respect and his commission in Port Royal. He would _not_ let that pirate ruin the last good thing he had!

Chloe stared at him in open confusion for a couple of seconds before her eyes widened. "Not _pirate_ Jack! Undead monkey Jack!"

"Say that again?" James blinked, confusion overcoming his previous hostility. Clearly he hadn't heard any of this clearly - or he was missing a part of the puzzle that was the events Chloe had lived through since being kidnapped by Barbossa.

Chloe pulled away and grinned, brightly, excitedly. "He's a monkey and his name is Jack, he used to be Barbossa's pet. He's adorable - even in the moonlight when he appears like a skeleton. He's mine now."

James just _stared_ at her as the situation hit him full-force. "You _purposely_ bargained for an undead simeon?"

She nudged her side into his. "You will love him."

He highly doubted it.

Chloe's smile fell. "She has never given me permission to tell anyone other than you, and I do not want to risk the consequences." Her greens rose to James' blues. "We cannot tell Lucy or Will or anyone else what you know."

"Of course." He nodded, not for the first time feeling humbled and privileged. James didn't know exactly _why_ this mysterious Voice had chosen to allow _him_ of all people to know Chloe's secret, but he was ever grateful for it. Chloe needed all the help and support she could during this time - he couldn't imagine how it must've been when she'd shouldered everything on her own. "We will get through this."

She nodded and smiled up trustingly at him. "Of course."

* * *

Lying in her tub, filled with warm water and bubbles all around her, Lois soaked after having scrubbed the filth off of her. Her hair was held up, her skin red from the scrubbing, and her lips curved in a smile.

Cutler's self-importance, his pride, was really going to be his undoing.

Reaching for a glass of some of the rum she'd hidden in the house for such-a-time-as-this, Lois brought it to her lips and took a deep gulp of the alcohol she would _never_ admit to having acquired a taste for during her time with Jack Sparrow.

Cutler had not only returned her and Lana to their home, but he'd given them both pardons for themselves _and_ Will and Lucy (Lois had demanded it as a wedding gift, saying that both her sister and Will _had_ to be present at her wedding, and so he'd granted it to her). All Lois had to do was play this part for a while, he might be eyeing her suspiciously now but she knew him well enough to know that his pride would soon assure him that he had everything, had _her_ , under his control. And that was when she was going to strike.

Lois' smile grew as she stared ahead of her, plans brewing in her head.

* * *

 **TBC**


	7. Of Memories and Visions

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

 **A/N: All information on Cutler Beckett and Jack Sparrow mentioned in this chapter** **is canon.**

* * *

Lois Swann's engagement ball was the thing of fairy tales. No expense had been spared, all financed by Cutler Beckett as a way of proving to his new citizens just how much more powerful and above them he truly was. The Becketts might have been a wealthy family, but he was the only one who'd ever actually achieved a title, and while the overwhelming pride and snubbery he displayed was sickening at the best of times, it was downright disgusting and unforgivable at the worst.

The ring upon her finger had been admired and gaped and complimented all night, she'd been congratulated more than once, but she could see the look in those who had been close to her family. It was sadness, it was understanding of the situation. The news that she'd been imprisoned before suddenly becoming the future Lady Beckett was well-known, everyone in this sham of a party, in Port Royal, knew the only reason she was here with a fake smile plastered on her face was because the alternative had been a hangman's noose.

Cutler was in the middle of the room, mingling with the prominent members of Port Royal, networking and no-doubt letting each and every one of them know that it was in their best interest not to make him their enemy.

Marcus and Lana stood off to the side, Lana pale and clearly unhappy yet in attendance as Cutler had demanded it to "prove her joy at the news". Lana was no thespian, and anyone could see the displeasure written on her painted face, as well as the fact that Marcus leaned into her comfortingly. Marcus caught Lois' eye and nodded to her meaningly, she smiled a little and nodded back.

Father stepped in between them and grabbed Lois' arm, pulling her off to the side room, his voice low as he spoke. "I cannot abide this to happen. I will spirit you and Lana away from here, to England. I still have the King's ear, if I can just have a sitting with him I will clear this all up and you will be free."

Lois glanced discreetly towards the larger room and noticed the tips of booted feet. Ian Mercer, Cutler's right hand man and a devil all on his own, was spying on them, no doubt waiting this sort of situation so he could report to Cutler and give the man more leverage over her.

Taking in a deep breath, she returned her gaze to her father. "Please, stop this."

His eyes widened in surprise. "But Lois—!"

"I might not love that little rat, but I can learn to tolerate him." She couldn't give Cutler any advantage, anything to use against her. She needed to make him believe she was willing to go through with this, needed him to loosen the guard, to lower _his_ guard. The second it was she would strike, but that second was not now, so she continued to play her part. "If you and Lana want to go to the king do so after the wedding, I will not go through the public shame of walking down that aisle without my father by side."

Pain obviously painted his face. "My child, do not sacrifice yourself, your happiness, for us, for _anyone_. We will find a way."

At that moment she loved her father more than she ever had. "Father, I am not _sacrificing_ myself. I never expected to marry for love." She reached out and gripped his hand. "I have seen what _love_ did to Lana, to Chloe, and I want _nothing_ to do with that sort of pain. I would prefer to marry someone who can not only help my family and give me a good life, but one who could _never_ hurt me the way Will hurt them."

Her father flinched, obviously thinking of the way Will had broken Chloe's heart on his command.

"I will _never_ give a man that sort of power over me," she swore to her father. "And anyway, you must think of Lana. Now that she will be related to _Lady Beckett,_ wife of the Director of the East India Trading Company, the world has opened up to her unlike it ever would have otherwise. And maybe even Lucy…" She sighed. "Father, I am going to do this, and I need your blessing."

"How can I give it to a union that I know will end in your misery?" Her father whispered, brokenhearted.

Lois' only answer was to kiss her father's cheek. By the time she'd pulled away, Mercer's boots were gone, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Father, let us return, this is my party, I cannot be absent."

They rejoined the party and Lois played her part to perfection. She watched Mercer and Cutler discreetly, watched the pleased smirk that tilted the edges of his face the whole night. He thought he had her right where he wanted her. _Good_.

That was why, when Marcus invited her to dance, she was in a good mood.

"You seem jolly considering the event we are attending," he declared softly as they spun in the crowd.

"My fiancé is quite happy tonight, relaxed, much less guarded," she responded casually.

He nodded. "He was not at the beginning of the night."

She caught his meaning.

He chuckled and shook his head as he spoke, still very low. "I have acquired the wedding gift you were searching for."

Her eyes widened as hope soared in her. "Will it arrive on time?"

"It will be the talk of Port Royal," Marcus assured her.

" _Thank you_ ," Lois whispered.

"How could I not assist?" Marcus asked softly. "It is the only way I can find to repay Lord Beckett for the kindness he has bestowed upon Lana's family. Even if my part in this will never be discovered, knowing I had a part to play in this gift will forever fill me with joy."

The smile she gave Marcus was the first genuine smile she'd given since Cutler Beckett had shown back up in her life.

* * *

 _He sat in the private cove and watched her with awe plainly written on his face. He dared not speak, not utter a word, almost as if afraid that any little sound he might make would drive her away._

 _She was a thing to behold indeed. While human in shape she was clearly more than mortal. Her hair was waves of water decorated by countless shells, pearls of every shape and color were tied in the locks. Her eyes were as deep and vast as the sea itself, her body was a mixture of solid and liquid, a fascinating, inhuman mixture which - while shocking - somehow was beautiful beyond words._

 _"Why do you always watch me yet never say a word?" She turned towards him, her voice like a million waters, and yet soft nonetheless - what an odd mixture. "Are you afraid of me, human?"_

 _Despite being visibly startled by her words, he hurried to his feet and shook his head. "No! I do not fear you!" He cleared his throat. "In truth, madam, you enchant me, and I was fearful that I would frighten you if I approached."_

 _The being eyed him thoughtfully before she smiled softly. "It would take more than a sailor to frighten me."_

 _He stared at her with open fascination. "Then please, forgive my forwardness, but I must know your name."_

 _She hesitated a second before she pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. "My name is Calypso."_

 _A smile slowly touched his lips, and when he spoke his voice was reverent: "_ ** _Calypso._** _"_

…

Rubbing Monkey Jack's head, Chloe tried to ignore the headache that always arrived after the visions left. They had only started appearing after she'd bled on Jack's Black Spot, so it was more than obvious to her that by doing so she'd somehow opened up a channel between her and the Voice, with _Calypso_. But how did it all tie in together, how would these visions help her understand what Calypso (it _had_ to be Calypso, right?) wanted her to do?

"It is a fine establishment," Will's voice brought her back to the present.

She looked away from where Will was talking to Fergus, the local blacksmith, who was old and looking to sell his business to move to a neighboring island with his children, who'd moved there some years ago. It was amusing, almost comforting, to know that even though Will had gone and become a pirate there was still the blacksmith she knew somewhere deep inside.

It made him feel a little less like a stranger.

Chloe walked away in the opposite direction, Monkey Jack cradled happily in her arms.

* * *

"Kerma?" Lois raised an eyebrow as she strolled in the gardens with her insufferable fiancé. "I have never heard of it."

"And you never will," Cutler assured her. "Suffice to say Kerma was an island in the Atlantic Ocean, which was hidden from the outside world by a magical fog, and which was inhabited by the descendants of the Egyptians and ruled by _pharaohs_ of all things."

For the first time in a very long time Lois was actually interested in anything Cutler had to say to her. She wasn't sure why he'd decided to tell her all of this during their routine evening strolls, but at least she wasn't subjected to his snobbish and derogatory remarks, or wasn't being forced to listen to him recount the many trials which were being started in Port Royal in an effort to eradicate any support the local sympathizers might have with pirates.

"This of course happened when I was relocated to Calabar in West Africa and became the Director of the West African Affairs for the East India Trading Company. I immediately hired Mercer to replace my previous operative, who was killed on a mission in Nippon - where I lived before I was sent to my new post in Africa." Cutler made a face. "I did quite hate it there. Nothing but heat and Africans. There is nothing that a black man is good for but hard labor."

Lois bit back her own opinions, they would only make things worse for her. She needed to portray the complacent accomplice, needed to continue gaining his trust.

"Quite a few of the wealthy and powerful gentlemen in Calabar paid quite a pretty penny for light-skinned concubines, but I never saw the appeal." He made up his nose. "To each their own I suppose - no matter _how_ distasteful it might be."

Lois closed her eyes tightly at that and took in a deep breath. _Be quiet, Lois, stay quiet. This is not the time._

"It was during this time that I met your _friend_ , Jack Sparrow."

Lois' eyes flew open but she tried not to look too interested in the topic now, so she remained silent.

"I bought this old ship, the _Wicked Wench,_ and wanted to use her as a slave ship but it would've cost more than it was worth to convert her hold to haul slaves. So I decided to use her for hauling other cargos." It had never been a secret that Cutler had dealt in the slave trade, and it had been only one of many reasons why Lois had never been able to ever consider him as a potential husband. "One day, one of our ships, the _Fair Wind_ , arrived and I was visited by the ship's first mate - our mutual acquaintance."

" _Jack used to work for the East India Trading Company_?" Lois couldn't keep the utter shock from her voice. "But he's such a _pirate_!"

"I know, tis a disgrace." Cutler seemed to have misunderstood the feeling behind her shock. "His captain had been killed when they were attacked by pirates and he attacked the pirate captain because he couldn't stand the idea of a woman commanding a ship." He made a face of disgust. "It was quite understandable really, the idea of a woman having the knowledge, brains, or _ability_ to truly commandeer a vessel - only _pirates_ would allow such a travesty."

Lois actually bit her tongue right then and there.

"Well, from what I was told, Jack parleyed with Dona Pirata and she agreed to take only one third of the ship's cargo of rum." Cutler sighed. "I must admit, I was impressed with Sparrow's negotiation skills and promoted him to captain and gave him the _Marlin_ , but even though he accepted it at first he refused the ship when he found out it was to be used as a slave ship."

Lois looked up at that, eyes wide and heart thudding.

Cutler looked more and more disgusted as he recounted the tale. "The slave trade might not be the most _pleasant_ business but it is extremely lucrative - it's just good business. I should have known with his refusal to partake that he would be no good to me in the long haul, still, I knew he could be an excellent operative for me in foreign ports so I indulged him and gave him the _Wicked Wench_ instead."

Lois couldn't imagine Jack as the captain of any ship other than the Black Pearl. It felt… wrong.

"He was, as I'd known, an excellent operative, and yet his distaste for the slave trade continued to cause friction - so unreasonable." Cutler shook his head. "When we found a way to find Kerma, and with it its ancient treasure, Jack wanted more than ten percent of the gold - would not even _consider_ the additional revenue from the slave trade, said he would have nothing to do with that, so I had to offer him thirty per cent of the gold. The fool. My plan was to imprison all Kermans and sell the heathens as slaves - we would have made _a veritable fortune_." Anger seeped into Cutler's words. "Had it not been for Jack Sparrow I would be more than merely _Lord_ Beckett right now."

Lois continued to stare at Cutler in shock. "What did he do?"

"He set free 200 slaves bound for my patron's plantation, and in doing so destroyed my earliest chances at a title, destroyed what I had wanted for the most." Cutler smiled, it was all teeth and no warmth. "So I repaid him in kind, I branded him with a _P_ for pirate, and then set fire to the _Wench_ , sinking her into the bottom of the ocean."

Lois could hardly breathe.

"Seeing the canons firing at his beloved _Wicked Wench_ , Jack somehow managed to free himself and jumped overboard. He swam to the burning ship to try and save her. The last we saw of Sparrow he was aboard the burning Wench as it sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic," he declared wistfully. "We'd believed he'd gone down with his ship - imagine our disappointment when we heard of his misadventures with the daughters of Governor Weatherby Swann of Port Royal."

Lois didn't answer. She couldn't. Her mind was going a hundred miles per hour. She'd learnt so much during this walk it made her head hurt.

"So you see, any notion you have of Jack Sparrow being anything other than a pirate is wrong," Cutler declared superiorly. "I mean for you to see his limited vision, his barbaric, simplistic nature. He isn't a visionary pirate captain, he is a simpleton and a pest who needs to be exterminated with extreme prejudice."

"You are right," Lois whispered softly. "He is not the man I thought he was."

Apparently pleased to hear those words in that truly shaken tone, Cutler nodded and patted the hand he gripped around his arm. "There there. You are a woman, if someone of superior intelligence and worldly knowledge like myself was able to be deceived by that knave I do not hold it against you for being taken in by him as well. But it is admirable that you can rise above the inferiority of your sex and show such clear understanding."

Lois didn't hear any of that, and it was probably for the best. For the rest of the walk in the gardens her mind tried to digest everything she'd just learnt, and tried desperately to reconcile the rapscallion Jack Sparrow with the honorable man Cutler Beckett had unwittingly painted him to be.

A small smile touched her lips and didn't leave for the rest of the night.

* * *

 *** _Tia Dalma_**. *****

Chloe gripped at her head at the loudness of the Voice (she would still refer to it like this until she was a hundred per cent sure that the Voice was Calypso's). She winced in pain and accidentally swallowed sea water when she instinctively took in a gulp of "air" to try and calm herself. But breathing, normally, was impossible at the bottom of the sea, so she merely forced herself to relax despite the headache that was surprisingly enough beginning to bloom in her temples.

It was getting harder and harder to escape into the sea with Will and Lucy around (not to mention Jack and his men) but Jack was soon leaving and would be taking Lucy back to Tortuga with him and Will when they left.

Chloe glanced up at the surface, clear, without the usual rowboat in sight, and she was surprised to realize just how much she'd come to expect James there when she went on her nightly swims. He'd stand watch over her, faithful as ever, and while she didn't need it, just knowing he was there was comforting. But he'd worked extremely hard today and had fallen asleep early before she could tell him her plans to venture into the sea that night.

She'd gone to his room (how odd was it that despite how improper that was it didn't feel wrong?) and had hesitated at the door as she watched him sleep. He'd made her swear that she would always tell him when she was in the sea, but she didn't have the heart to wake him up, not when he'd tired himself doing manual labor for _her_. She could not expect to take up his days _and_ nights, and so she'd ventured off on her own, leaving Will and Lucy sleeping in their own rooms as well.

 ** _*Tia Dalma,*_** the Voice repeated with authority. **_*Wiley Jack must Tia Dalma see, or Davy Jones will find him, bind him, and meddle with great destiny.*_**

 _Where can he find this Tia Dalma person_? Chloe sat on the sand, her hair floating around her on the tide.

 *** _Him know_.***

…

 _The young sailor smiled as he held the flowers he had gathered in the meadow for her while awaiting her arrival. "They cannot compare to your beauty, but I would forever cherish the memory of you wearing them in your locks."_

 _Calypso stared at the handsome sailor and then at the flowers, before she smiled as she reached for the hand-picked bouquet. "Well, shall I give you that memory for you to cherish, then?"_

…

Chloe's cry of pain rose in the form of a cloud of bubbles which ascendent in violence to the surface. The headache that always accompanied the visions was worse than ever, so sharp and intense she was actually scared.

…

 _Calypso swam deep into the sea, surrounded by fish and turtles and crabs. She moved with the grace and the strength of mermaids yet she had no tail, instead her body nearly became one with the sea itself. Within the water she was nearly completely transparent, yet her eyes were still intense, still so incredibly visible._

 _Feeling a shadow on her, she turned and smiled up at the small boat anchored above, at the shadow peering down at her through the crystalline water. She waved up at him, and her faithful sailor waved back._

 _Swimming upwards, Calypso surfaced and her smile merely grew, her heart full as she faced her jolly sailor bold. She moved closer to rest with her arms against the small rowboat's lip, and when he moved closer to ask her something she surged upwards and pressed a kiss to his surprised lips._

 _His eyes widened, she could hear his heart racing so loudly, but before he could react, could kiss back, she giggled and dove back into the sea._

…

Chloe gripped the body around her tightly and cried into the chest before she even realized that she was actually holding onto someone. He was strong, incredibly so. His arm anchored her to him as he swam with them both, upwards, ever upwards, until they finally surfaced and he took in a deep, desperate breath of air.

She'd been deep below, it would've been too deep for someone who couldn't breathe underwater - who had been stupid enough to—?

Chloe cried out in pain and pressed her forehead hard against his chest as he began to swim them back to the shore as the Voice whispered: **_*Jack be not the only one who needs ta Tia Dalma see*_**.

…

 _He watched the mermaids braiding her wavy hair and smiled as he cleaned his sword. He didn't quite trust or like mermaids, no sailor worth his grain of salt would, but it was beautiful to see them tend to her like this - to treat her with the respect and worship that she deserved._

 _Even now he still could not believe that one such as her even knew his name._

 _Movement in the sand caught his attention, and he glanced down to see a crab approaching. In its claw it held a shell, one which had been chipped and vaguely resembled a heart._

 _Immediately he glanced up and caught her small smile before she looked away._

 _Heart racing, he reached down and accepted the shell from the crab with a grin._

…

" _Look at me_ , concentrate on my voice, focus on me." His voice was distorted, his face completely hidden by shadow as he loomed over her on the back, backlit by the moon. "Chloe!"

At the sound of her name Chloe took in a gulp of air as suddenly the distortion, the pain, disappeared. "The pain is gone."

He let out a sigh of relief that visibly shook his whole body as he lowered his head, dark curls wet and causing droplets of water to fall onto her face. "What _happened_ while you were down there? When I found you—."

" _James_?" Finally recognizing her savior, Chloe peered up into his shadowed face. "Why - you were sleeping. How did you know to come?"

He let out a soft breath. "I do not know." He moved so that he now sat on his knees instead of looming over her. "All I know is that I awoke with a great and terrible fright, and when I could not find you in your room I knew you must be here."

Chloe sat up, sand clinging to her wet body. "You swam all the way… you _dove that distance for me_?"

James Norrington nodded. "Of course I did."

Her heart raced and she lost her voice. James had always cared for her, protected her, and yet this felt different somehow. This… she did not know how to explain the how or the why.

"Why were you in pain?" James' voice was low. "Were you seeing the sea goddess and her human lover again?"

Chloe nodded. "It was worse than before - I saw _so many_ different things… They were _so in love_ , James."

"Why does this hurt you?" He whispered, almost to himself.

"I do not know," she answered nonetheless. "But I _do_ know one thing." She took in a deep breath. "I have to leave with Jack when he goes."

" _What_?" James stilled, tensed.

"The Voice told me that he needs to see Tia Dalma, and that he knows who this person is and how to find her," she confided. "She also told me that _I_ need to see this woman as well." She sat straighter, shifted closer. "Maybe this person can help me with the pain - or to at least understand why I am seeing these visions." She reached out and grabbed hold of the seam of his wet shirt. "Or, maybe, she can tell me what the Voice - what _Calypso_ \- wants from me."

James stared down at her in silence.

She lowered her gaze and tightened her grip on the bottom of his shirt. "I will understand it if you are not here when I return."

"I will not be here when you return," James confirmed, and those words tore at her like knives. "You will need someone with you whom you can confide in without any repercussions, who can understand the situation and lend a hand, a shoulder, a _blade_ , when you need it."

Her eyes widened and her heart raced so hard it hurt as she glanced up into his shadowed face in shock. "I could never ask you to sail on a pirate ship for me!"

James placed his hand on the one she used to grip his shirt. "You do not have to. This is my choice, and I freely make it."

Tears filled Chloe's eyes as she surged forwards and wrapped her arms around James' neck tightly. She hid her face against his cheek as she pulled closer and tears began to fall silently.

James' arms wrapped around her and held her close, his hand slowly rubbing her back in a soft, comforting manner. "Come, let us get you into dry clothes and into bed before you catch your death." He somehow managed to stand and pull her up into his arms at the same time.

Usually Chloe would complain, would say that she could walk thank-you-very-much, but tonight her arms remained around his neck as she rested against him. She closed her eyes and let him take her home.

* * *

Lana shot up in bed, eyes wide in horror, the nightmare she'd suffered through still terrifyingly real in her mind. " _Lucy_."

* * *

 **TBC**


	8. A Much Needed Conversation

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV**.

* * *

Lucy Swann had never thought she'd see the day in which James Norrington would be aboard a pirate ship willingly. The only way she could've maybe envisioned it once upon a time was if he was boarding the ship during a time of war to destroy the pirates onboard, or if he'd been taken captive and kept hostage for ransom. And yet, despite wearing his faded and terribly worn uniform jacket with visible pride, James Norrington was very much aboard the Black Pearl headed towards this Tia Dalma person who made Jack act all uneasy.

Jack hadn't wanted to let James on the Pearl at first, but Chloe had pulled him aside and whatever she'd told him had had him changing his mind, and tune, immediately. Yep. He'd pranced over to James, slapped his back a couple of times and welcomed him heartily aboard the Pearl. James hadn't answered in kind but no one had expected him to be too happy to be here given everything.

And yet he was here.

Chloe and James had always been close. Even when he'd been courting Lana, had proposed to Lana, it was always Chloe whom James had been closest to. Lucy had never understood why he'd never realized the blonde's feelings for him given just how obvious it'd been for everyone else. She'd never understood how he could choose Lana, and yet now, as she watched James watch Chloe the way he always had, she began to wonder something which unsettled her. What if she'd been wrong? What if they all had? Then again, this could very well be him settling for Chloe since he couldn't have Lana… and yet…

There was no difference in how he'd always treated Chloe, was there? No. Wait. She was lying. There was a difference, but it wasn't that he suddenly couldn't keep his hands off of her, or that he suddenly was professing his undying love or being more protective than before. No. The only difference between how he'd always treated Chloe, and how he was treating her now, was the complete ease he portrayed.

While it had never been debated whether Chloe and James were each other's favorite person, even if only in a friendly way for James, he'd always held himself with a rigid properness. He'd always been close to Chloe, and yet mindful of their positions, of the difference in their sex, of what was proper. He'd lived toeing the line. Now, though, the line was crossed, and what she meant by that was… well.. Look at James laughing. No longer was he visibly trying to keep his laugh at a proper tone and strength, or his lips twitching in his desire to keep them a line, or his body straight despite how it trembled slightly with how much he was trying to keep himself composed as he clasped behind his back.

No.

James was laughing. Laughing. His head was thrown back, his voice loud, and his hands against his stomach as if it hurt from his raucous laughter.

Chloe grinned up at him, her hands clasped behind her back as she leaned towards him with a teasing expression in her eyes. She'd never been one for propriety, and had always been the one to push the boundaries between them, and yet something was different in her as well. Lucy couldn't put her finger on exactly what was different, but there was definitely something there.

There was something between her sister and James Norrington, and whatever it was it was growing, strengthening.

Lucy bit her bottom lip as her gaze shifted to where Will stood, watching Chloe and Norrington, no doubt seeing what Lucy did when he looked at them. Will had spent years watching Chloe and Norrington, had watched them grow closer while he stood in the shadows unable to do anything. Lucy could see something in his eyes she didn't quite like, didn't quite understand, but she _could_ understand the way he clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned milky.

This must be a nightmare for him. He'd broken Chloe's heart in an effort to protect her, had believed for a whole year that he was part of the reason she'd been murdered, and then he'd finally found her alive only to once more have to stand in the shadows and watch as Norrington and her continued to grow closer and closer with each passing day.

The whole situation worried Lucy. And it wasn't just the Chloe/Norrington/Will thing either. Why did Jack have to see this Tia Dalma person? And why had Chloe left the island (and the islanders who'd been very reluctant to see her leave) to join them? It had to be something extremely serious, life-threatening even - and something that involved Chloe's life - because that was the only reason she could come up with as to why James Norrington now sailed under a pirate's flag.

That was why Lucy was traveling with them to see this Tia Dalma person as well, instead of heading back to Tortuga as she'd originally planned. Something was up, something big was headed their way, and it had to do with why so many people thought her sister was the goddess Calypso. It had to.

It hurt Lucy to know that Chloe didn't trust her enough to tell her the truth, but she didn't know what Chloe had gone through, so she couldn't and wouldn't judge. All she could do was be here and help Will and James protect Chloe when whatever was going on finally came to light.

 _Gi was right though, Chloe definitely is not made for ladyhood. She is like me. This life has crept into her veins._

Sighing, Lucy leaned her hip against the railing of the Pearl and peered out at the sea, wondering how Giselle was doing, and just how much hell she was raising without Lucy to reign her in.

 _Maybe it was a mistake to ask Scarlett to help her while I am gone, those two can get into a lot of trouble when together._

The thought made her smile a little larger with a chuckle as she shook her head and took in a deep breath. While she loved the life of a pirate on the sea, she really missed home and those waiting for her there.

* * *

Estrella had once been Chloe's personal maid, but after Chloe's death the young maid had taken a more general role in the Swann Residence. It allowed her to go in and out without anyone really noticing, to stay in the background, and coupled with her loyalty to the family, those qualities were exactly why Lois had chosen her for the task at hand.

Lois took a sip of her tea as Cutler spoke with that cut-throat, Ian Mercer. She was being forced to spend more and more time with him as they neared the end of their scandalously quick engagement, already the wedding was merely days away and she was about to lose her mind.

Serving Cutler and Mercer the biscuits Cutler had snappingly ordered her to get them, Estrella turned to Lois and smiled. "It is a beautiful day outside, is it not, Miss Lois?"

Swallowing her gulp of tea, Lois smiled with a nod. "It is."

"Clear, beautiful skies," Estrella droned on with a smile on her face, the maid's presence already forgotten by Cutler and his minion. "I even saw a butterfly on my way here." Estrella's body was relaxed, her expression normal, but it was her eyes which held Lois'. "Beautiful thing, that. I mentioned it to the butcher's wife and she said they have been appearing more and more, especially around dusk. That's an odd timing for butterflies, do you not think, miss?"

"Yes… I would imagine." Lois could barely keep her voice from squeaking. "Thank you, Estrella, that will be all for now."

Bobbing into a curtsy, Estrella nodded. "Of course, miss." And with that she left the room.

Lois took a much longer sip of her tea and tried to contain the excitement bubbling up within her.

It was happening.

Today.

At dusk.

* * *

Will had been having a lot of issues holding in his temper, his true feelings, while watching Chloe and James Norrington, but never had he been as shocked or as angry or as jealous or as hurt as he was at that moment as he watched the two cross blades. He could see from Chloe's stance, from her change in technique, that they'd been training for a while now. Norrington had most definitely been teaching her everything he knew.

Sword training had been Will's and Chloe's thing, and yet like in almost every other way, James Norrington had stepped in and supplanted him. Was there nothing sacred? And why would Norrington teach Chloe to fight anyway? The man had always been the type to believe a woman should be protected by the males of her family, so why would he change his ideology so profoundly as this? Norrington wasn't doing this to humor Chloe, no, whenever she made a mistake she paid for it, and Norrington scolded her, almost angrily, almost desperately.

It was almost as if he was truly training her to save her life with these skills, and each time she failed against him it scared Norrington.

"Is it me, or is yonder former Commodore not at all mourning the loss of his affianced?" Jack came to stand next to Will, his voice completely innocent, which meant he was definitely up to something. "And damsel fair is quite taken with him as well." He sidled Will with a sidelong look which was probably meant to portray concern, but only managed to look amused. "One wonders, if she held the compass, in which direction the arrow would point."

Will clenched his fists and didn't look away from them, didn't acknowledge Jack's words or the truth behind them. What if it was too late? What if the year Will had wasted aboard the Black Pearl had been enough for Norrington to get his head out of his ass and realize that Chloe was the right Swann for him? Chloe had once told Will that she would never be second place to her sister, and yet look at her. She was clearly growing closer and closer to Norrington, visibly relied on him.

Chloe had yet to tell anyone as to why she was on the Black Pearl, had mumbled that she'd missed life on the sea and was interested on a little jaunt out, but if Norrington was here it was more than that. It meant Norrington knew exactly why Chloe was on the Black Pearl, and it was dangerous. He was here, he was training her with more urgency and forcefulness than he would anyone actually under his command, because he was preparing her for something.

But what?

And why did she feel Norrington was more trustworthy than her own sister to know the truth?

"You have gotten so much better!" Lucy praised as she neared them.

Chloe, covered in sweat, breathing heavily and cheeks red from the exertion, grinned up happily at her sister. "I have had many good teachers." Her gaze shifted onto James, who didn't look even a quarter as out of breath as her. "And my last one is a hellish taskmaster."

Norrington raised an eyebrow. "I will choose to take that as a compliment."

"Do so if it makes you feel better," Chloe teased.

Norrington outright grinned at that before he shook his head and his gaze fell on Lucy. "Would you care for a spar? Chloe tells me you are quite accomplished with a blade."

Lucy's eyes widened in shock. "You wish to spar with me?" She narrowed her eyes suddenly. "An honest to god spar?"

Norrington twirled his blade in his hand. "It would be an insult to you otherwise."

Slowly but surely a smile lifted Lucy's lips as she yanked her own blade out. "En guard!"

Chloe sheathed her own sword, and not for the first time Will realized it wasn't the one he'd made for her. It was much weaker, inferior one, and the fact that he'd hurt her enough that she had thrown away the gift she had openly treasured…

When Chloe moved off to the side to give Norrington and Lucy the deck to spar (the sailors watching as well since the Pearl was anchored for the night) Will left Jack's presence without a fair-thee-well and made his way through the crowd towards her. The sound of blades clashing was a beautiful sound, it meant that, even if for a couple of minutes Norrington's attention was elsewhere.

They'd been sailing for a couple of days now, and this was the first time Will could get Chloe to himself. He wasn't going to allow that opportunity to go to waste.

"Hello."

She didn't look surprised by his suddenly appearance at her side, had she been watching him approach out of the corner of her eyes?

"Hello Will." She smiled awkwardly at him, not quite meeting his eyes.

He took in a deep breath. "May I speak to you, in private?"

"In private?" She still wouldn't meet his gaze. "That is quite improper, do you not think?"

"I do not care."

She finally met his gaze at that, her greens a little shocked and very intrigued as she offered him her arm. "Let us take a stroll around the deck."

If Will hadn't been so nervous he would've laughed at how formal that sounded. Instead he curled her arm around his and walked her around the other end of the Pearl, where it was deserted thanks to everyone enjoying the sparring on the other end. When they reached the opposite end Chloe slipped free from him, robbing him of her touch as she leaned against the railing, her gaze out at the peaceful sea.

"This is as private as it will get aboard a vessel." She would not look away from the sea.

Taking that as his cue, Will joined her, his gaze on the dark waters as well. "When I told you in Port Royal that we should end our relationship, it was at the behest of your father."

Chloe's head swung to face him sharply. "What?"

"Earlier that night Governor Swann came to the smithy and asked me to free you so that you could go to live with his sister, where you would be safe. We both realized that we could not protect you. As long as you were by the sea something might happen – pirates, mermaids – and the best way either of us could protect you was to let go." Will's grip on the railing tightened as he turned to face her, to stare into her wide green eyes. "I lied to you that night because I thought it was the only way I could keep you safe, could make sure you lived a happy life protected from the dangers the Caribbean continued to thrust upon you." He needed her to understand, to know that he had not meant a single word he'd told her that night. "When I heard that your vessel had been attacked by pirates, that you'd died in a subsequent fire, the only reason I did not…" he took in a deep breath. "I was sure you would come back to us like you had before, and I promised myself that I would marry you the moment you did."

Chloe was silent, staring at him in open shock.

"But no matter how many nights I spent at your grave, begging for you to return to us, you never did." He took in a deep breath. "I had to leave Port Royal because your memory was engrained in every nook and cranny and I would have gone insane from grief had a I stayed there."

Taking in a deep, wavering breath, Chloe exhaled it loudly. She was clearly startled, confused, and didn't know how to process or take what he had just told her. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, while I once promised myself to allow you to be with Norrington should he smarten up and see what was always before him... being without you for a year proved to me that I cannot, will not, let you go without a fight." He moved closer, his gaze burning into her. "Not again."

Chloe seemed to be having problems breathing, her eyes wide, her bosom rising and falling with erratic breaths. She seemed perplexed, scared, hopeful, confused, so many things at the same time as she opened and closed her mouth wordlessly. His declaration had left her speechless, and he didn't think he'd ever accomplished that fact before. It both gave him hope and terrified him.

He moved closer, and when she moved back away from him to lean hard against the railing he followed her there, his hands gripping the railing on each side of her body, barely a breath between them as he leaned down, his gaze never leaving hers.

For her part, Chloe gripped the railing behind her and kept opening and closing her mouth, little squeaks emerging (but no actual words) as a flush rose up her neck.

"When we leave this ship I will make you another sword, a much better one than the one you have now." He realized that his tone made that almost seem like a threat, and it hit him just how much it bothered him that she wasn't using the sword he'd crafted especially for her. "It will be even better than the last one I made, you will never be able to part with it willingly." Again, it almost sounded like a threat, and he wondered just how much of the Black Pearl's crew's pirating ways had actually rubbed off on him while he wasn't paying attention.

"I did not," Chloe whispered, gaze on his chin resolutely, as if unable to look him in the eyes any longer. "…part with it willingly, I mean."

Will's eyes narrowed.

Chloe took in a deep breath. "When The Wanderer was attacked by pirates I fought them off but someone hit me from behind, and when I awoke in the captain's bed my sword was no where to be found."

"In his bed." Something inside of Will roared, and yet another part of him was terrified. What had happened to her with those pirates? Also, she'd been kidnapped a third time. That was horrifying and scared him greatly. What was it about Chloe that made all sorts of things just take her?

"I escaped soon after," she whispered. "I jumped out of the window into the sea. There was no land close by but I finally made it to the island where I have been living ever since."

He felt his stomach plummet. "How did you get to shore? That is an impossible swim."

Her lips twitched. "Would you believe me if I said sea turtles?"

He wasn't sure that he did. That sounded a lot like Jack's stories of escape. Sea turtles, it was always sea turtles… and yet… Chloe wasn't Jack, was she? "Sea turtles."

She smiled. "Yes, sea turtles." She didn't explain it more, just left it at that. Her smile fell. "Please do not tell Lucy, she is worried enough as it is. That incident happened a year ago and I never saw the pirates or their captain ever again. Everything is fine now, but if she knew about the incident she would be worried and would not go back to her own life, she would just worry about me and I do not want that."

He nodded silently and wondered if this was part of the reason why Chloe was not confiding in them yet was in Norrington.

"She has a good life, one she enjoys, one she loves." Chloe's smile went tender. "She has a good thing with Giselle and the Captain's Bride, and there is no way that I will ever come in the middle of that." Her gaze went wistful. "Very few of us will ever have the privilege of being as happy as her – or having everything we want and love." She then cleared her throat and slipped out from under Will's trapping arms, giving him her back as she once more peered out into the sea. "This is not the life I envisioned for you, William."

He joined her, elbows rested on the railing, gaze on her face. "What life did you envision for me?"

"You owned your own smithy in Port Royal and had put Mr Brown out of business," she informed him as-a-matter-of-factly. "You received commissions from all across the Caribbean because your work was so renowned." She ran her hand over the railing. "You were married to a village girl and expecting a child, whom you would name William yet call Billy, after your father."

He gulped. "I see." He'd envisioned that life for him once, but instead of a village girl Chloe had been the one round with his child.

"Will, I have spent a whole year with your goodbye in my ears." She licked her lips. "I understand why you did it, I do now, but that does not change the fact that this year I have done my utmost not to love you anymore."

He kept quiet, knowing whether or not he wanted to hear this, he needed to.

"So much has changed, we are different people now in different circumstances." She wrung her hands together nervously. "I do not know whether the person I am now could be the wife of Port Royal's renowned blacksmith."

"I do not know whether the person I am now could become Port Royal's renowned blacksmith," Will admitted. "I do not know whether I want to be."

She glanced up at him, perturbed. "That has all you have ever wanted to be."

"Because that was all I knew I could accomplish in Port Royal," he responded truthfully. "I am of lowly birth with hardly any schooling, no family, and no training but that with the forge. A blacksmith is all I could ever aspire to be, the only thing of merit I could accomplish with what was dealt to me in my life. It was never my passion." He didn't think he'd ever actually admitted this to anyone. "In truth, while I do enjoy crafting, it is the time and access to so many different blades that I truly enjoyed. I could teach myself to fight with so many types of blades…" He smiled self-depreciatively. "I suppose it was the pirate in me showing itself in the only way it could."

"You never told me this," she whispered.

"I never told anyone," he responded just as softly.

She tilted her head as she observed him thoughtfully. "Do you enjoy the life of a pirate?"

"No." It was swift and sure and utterly genuine. "Having the odd adventure is nice to take the dull edge off of mundane life, but to make this one's life?" He shook his head. "And not every pirate crew is like Jack's. For many of them 'raid, pillage and plunder' is actually 'rape, pillage and plunder'." He made up his face in disgust. "The thought of living like this, on the seas, amongst those sorts of people, for the rest of my life… it is truly disheartening." Will shot her a quick look. "How about you? Do you enjoy life as the goddess of an island?"

She eyed him for a moment in silence before she chuckled and glanced back to the sea. "James is worried they will burn me at the stake should anything go wrong on the island."

"That is a valid fear," Will hated to admit.

Chloe didn't seem to agree. "They seem to believe, for some reason, that I bring in the fish. They would not risk losing them again. They need the fish too badly."

This wasn't the first time Will had seen this, and he wondered if Chloe was being purposely obtuse. There was something about her that did bring in the fish. This was the second time a whole island had taken to thinking of her as some heathen deity. The Chloe he knew wouldn't brush that off as coincidence, so that meant that either she truly had changed during the last year – or she knew something and was not planning on sharing.

His guess was the latter.

"I like my home," Chloe admitted softly. "I like the island, the people. It lacks the refinery of Port Royal, or the liveliness of Tortuga, but in its own way it is perfect. People help each other there. Ernest and his mother will look after Starfish and Jack for me while I am gone, Seamus promised James he'd make sure my place did not fall into disrepair, Angus, superstitious old man though he may be…" She paused and didn't finish whatever it was Angus had done or was going to do. "I plan on returning there." Her smile returned. "I like my life, my home, my cove." She frowned. "I miss my cove." Her frown grew. "I miss a lot of things, actually." She rubbed her arms and peered at the sea.

Will eyed her intently. "Do you miss me?"

She closed her eyes and took in a deep, stuttered breath, her voice thick with emotion when she whispered: "Of course I do, Will." With that she pushed away from the railing and walked away, back towards where the others were.

Will watched her leave, his voice barely above a whisper: "I miss you too."

* * *

 **TBC**


	9. A Much Needed Conversation 2

Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.

* * *

Lois Swann had used the scabbard of the sword her father wore at his hip (merely for decorative purposes) and knocked out the 'protection detail' inside of the carriage. Her father and sister had been, not surprisingly, surprised and concerned, especially when she proceeded to scream bloody murder, which caused the carriage to come to a halt. The second Cutler's other man opened the door to the carriage he was greeted with a blow from the scabbard to his face and he collapsed as well. He wasn't completely out for the count, but Lois knocked him out with another blow to the back of his head.

"What the devil is going on here?" Her father asked, eyes wide. He'd been all up for a ride with only his daughters when Lois had suggested it. The fact that Cutler Beckett had installed himself in the house and liked to lord his higher position and greater power, as well as always had a "protective detail" (aka his spies and the Swann family's jailers) always with them no matter where they went had been vexing on her father's nerves.

"Grab the bags under the seats," Lois ordered as she grabbed one and yanked on the cloak she'd placed on top of hers. "We are leaving Port Royal, now."

Lana's eyes widened. She didn't ask any questions, merely reached under her seat and pulled out a bag and a cloak. "Cutler has eyes on every ship in the dock, how are we to escape?"

The sound of horses caused both Lana and father to freeze, but Lois smiled and jumped out to find Marcus White approaching on horseback, his own cloak on, two horsemen trailing behind.

"Marcus?" Lana's voice was soft yet shocked as she eased out of the carriage.

He reached his hand out to her. "No time to explain, Miss Lana."

She handed him the bag (which he secured to his saddlebag) and then accepted his help, landing behind him on the saddle and gripping his waist tightly.

Lois was already up behind one of the other men, and her father, very flabbergasted, stumbled up behind the third. As soon as he was mounted the three men took off, using the cover of dusk and the back alleys. The horses raced like crazy, taking their riders to a beach familiar to Lois and Lana. It was the same beach they'd said goodbye to Lucy on.

A small rowboat awaited them on the beach, ready to take them to the ship hidden behind the same rocks the Pearl had been hidden behind that night. 'Think like Jack' had really helped Lois more than she'd initially thought it would.

Dismounting, Lois hurried to the rowboat and flung her bag inside before she turned to find Lana dismounted next to Marcus. He cupped Lana's face and spoke to her softly. Father stumbled off of the steed and thanked one of the men when they came and got the bag for him. He looked utterly bewildered, his wig askew.

Despite wanting to give Lana and Marcus time to say goodbye she knew it was safer for him if she cut it short. So she went towards them. "Thank you Marcus, we could not have done this without your help."

Marcus' hand dropped from Lana's cheek and he turned to Lois with a smile and a dip of his head. "Anything to get your family out from that man's clutches."

"What if he discovers you helped us?" Lana's voice trembled in worry. "Marcus, he will punish you."

"He will not find out," Marcus promised her. "I have never made my distaste for that rat known, he believes me a firm supporter." He reached for her hand, his gaze on hers. "When it is safe I will come for you."

Lana flushed, and the sight shocked Lois. This was the first time she'd actually seen Lana react so naturally in front of Marcus. "Be safe, Marcus. Promise me this. If you get hurt I will never forgive you."

Marcus' smile was soft, tender, loving. "I promise."

Lana looked worried, horribly so. She searched his face before pressing up on her tiptoes and pressing a quick and chaste kiss to his lips. "Thank you."

Father's mouth parted in scandal at this improper behavior on her part.

Marcus was the most shocked though. His eyes were wide and his face suddenly crimson. "Y-you are, uh," he cleared his throat rapidly, "welcome." He cleared his throat once more. "You must go." He turned his gaze to Lois as well, the man still crimson. "You all must."

Lois nodded and grabbed Lana's hand, taking the girl (who was clutching her bag) and escorting her to the rowboat. Their father thanked the men, eyed Marcus (muttered a "You had better marry her after that" – which only served to make Marcus blush harder) and then followed them as well. The second he was in the sailors set off towards the hidden ship.

Lana watched Marcus as he grew smaller and smaller with distance.

Marcus watched Lana.

As soon as they were on the ship, their things being taken to their quarters, the ship sailed off.

Lana griped the railing and still watched the beach until it was so far away nothing was distinguishable.

Father, instead, watched Lois. "You planned this."

She tore her gaze from Lana and turned those hazels on him instead. "Yes."

He tilted his head, studying her. "So when I came to you that night during your engagement ball-."

"Ian Mercer was listening," she responded softly.

Understanding crossed his face. "But why did you not tell me afterwards?"

"The less people who knew, the better," Lois admitted. "The only way Beckett was going to believe that I was going to go through with marrying him was if everyone else believed the same. He'd pick up on it otherwise."

Father stared at her, almost as if he didn't recognize her, and then he smiled tiredly. "Lucy would be proud."

Lois smiled back at him.

Patting her shoulder, father sighed. "I will retire to my cabin. It will be a long trip, but I need to be rested for when we return to England." With that he left.

Lois felt a little guilty as she watched him go.

"When do you plan on telling him we are not headed towards England?" Lana wanted to know softly from behind her.

Lois glanced over her shoulder at her sister, who now stood facing her. "How did you know?"

"England is not safe, not when Beckett has the king's ear," Lana replied easily. "The safest bet would be to go to someplace where the king's command cannot reach us, somewhere where we have allies who would be willing to take us in and hide us for an undetermined period of time."

Lois smiled as she realized that Lana truly had seen through her. "How do you think father will react when he realizes our final destination is Tortuga?"

Despite it all, Lana smiled as she hugged herself and joined her sister's side. "I cannot begin to imagine."

Slipping an arm around Lana's shoulders, Lois sighed. "Yeah, neither can I."

* * *

Chloe emerged from the dark water with a refreshed gulp of air. Her hair stuck to her face and fanned around her in the water, and the moonlight highlighted the absolute delight on her expression as she moved closer to where James stood perched on the rope ladder he'd thrown down so they could descend without attracting attention from those sleeping aboard the Black Pearl.

"I needed this so badly." Chloe swam towards him, looking much better than she had after days of not indulging in her nightly routine. "You must be in pain though from staying there for so long."

His body was a bit stiff, but it wasn't anything he could not handle. "I am fine."

"James, you must not put yourself out for me," she responded in a scolding tone as she reached the ladder. Instead of starting a climb she merely smiled up at him. "I can come without your supervision."

"And risk what happened the last time you went out without me?" James snorted. "I think not."

"That happened once," she reminded petulantly, like a child. It was adorable. "You cannot continue to hold that against me."

"I can and I will," he informed her. "So stop complaining and enjoy your jaunt while you still can. It will soon be dawn and the men will be out and about readying for the day's voyage."

She frowned at him. "That is why I worry. You will be tired. You spend all day doing ship work and all night making sure I do not get attacked by some creature. James. You are merely human, your body can not take such endless tasks as the ones you assign to yourself."

"I am strong enough to handle this," he assured her.

Chloe stared up at him in silence before she suddenly reached up and yanked, hard, on his leg.

Not expecting the attack, and body stiff, James slipped and tumbled into the water, which drowned the sound of his squeak before he could even make it. In seconds he'd surfaced and gulped in air as he wiped the water from his eyes. He gaped at Chloe, finding her grinning unrepentantly at him. "Why did you do that for?"

"This is better than you straining your body staying on the ladder, is it not?" She giggled. "I have been tempted to pull you into the water for weeks now."

"You know that most predators hunt at night, correct?" He raised an eyebrow at her as he kicked his legs to stay afloat. "And that we are in very deep, very dark water so it will be harder to see a shark's approach?"

"You know that you worry too much, correct?" she had the gall to counter. "You are with me, I will protect you."

His eyes widened and he laughed at her brazen cheek. "You do realize that you are not actually the goddess of the sea, correct?"

"You do know that I probably belong to her, correct?" she once more countered. "She protects me from the dangers of the sea."

"She does not protect me," he deadpanned.

"No, but I do," she repeated. "I will not let anything bad happen to you."

James stared at Chloe in silence at that. He didn't know how to answer, especially not when he realized she was completely serious. Finally, he settled on: "I am here to protect you."

"Are you?" She asked softly. "I have protection on this ship, you know that no one here would allow me to get hurt." She leaned with her back against the Black Pearl. "You did not have to come here, to be among the sort of people you despise."

James once more wasn't sure how to answer that.

Chloe bit her bottom lip, her gaze lowered. "Will told me that he only ended our courtship because of my father's interference. He said that he believed it better for me, for my protection, and that is why he ended it when he did. I believe he still loves me."

Feeling himself go cold all over, James bit the inside of his mouth to keep his initial response from being blurted out. Instead, he nodded. "I know. He alluded to as much his first night on the island."

She looked up at him in shock. "Why did you not tell me? Why keep quiet on this matter when you knew how I felt?"

"It was because I know how you feel that I stayed silent," he admitted, shame battling other emotions inside of him and losing.

"I do not understand," Chloe whispered, and really, why would she understand? It was all James' fault that she didn't!

Taking in a deep breath, James rose his blue eyes to meet her greens. "I have told you once already, I am not a gentleman, not a good person."

She shook her head. "That is not tr-!"

Even he was surprised by how quickly he'd moved, his palms splayed against the Black Pearl on either side of Chloe's head, their bodies close, incredibly, improperly so. He shifted them slightly, so that he gripped onto the rope ladder behind her.

Chloe froze, eyes wide. She gripped his shirt to help keep afloat as their proximity kept her from being able to kick, because otherwise they'd accidentally kick each other.

James stared down into Chloe's upturned, moonlit face. "I am not a good man, Chloe, I never have been. I have told you this already."

Chloe's breaths were erratic, her eyes impossibly wide. "What does Lana have to do with any of this?"

"Nothing," he responded, voice lower. "She never has."

That confusion continued to fill those greens. "James, you cannot speak in riddles to me, I do not under-!"

He didn't realize he was kissing her until she whimpered against his lips. James had for many years wondered what Chloe Ann Swann tasted like, and it was better than he'd ever imagined. For so long he'd held himself back, although, to be truthful, at first he hadn't noticed his feelings changing towards the blonde daughter of Governor Swann, and that was probably for the best given their age difference. He'd met, and grown to surprisingly enough quite enjoy her presence while accompanying her and her family to Port Royal on that maiden voyage. It was a friendship he'd learnt to treasure more and more with each passing day.

Chloe pushed softly on his chest and he let her separate them an inch or so. "James," she whispered. "I will not be second best, or the consolation prize." Her greens held his blues with sharp intensity. "I will not be the Swann sister who was chosen because the one you truly want does not return your feelings."

He was scared, truly scared, for the first time in a long time. "You have never been second best to me, Chloe. You would definitely never be considered a consolation prize." His heart raced nervously. "Lana was."

Chloe stilled. "What are you saying?"

James took in a deep breath. "The evening I told you I was considering courting someone who I had admired for years… I was speaking of _you_."

Chloe couldn't have looked more shocked if he'd hit her. He figured that must've been how he'd looked that night on the beach when she'd told him she'd been in love with him for years. "That cannot be true! You have always watched Lana!"

"I have watched over her, but not with the eye of a lover," James admitted. "Unlike you and your sisters, Lana is fragile, and gives off the air of naivety, of being unable to fend for, or care for, herself. It awakened brotherly concern in me." He breathed out loudly. "I never realized you would take notice of it and misunderstand my feelings for her."

Chloe's breathing was loud. "Why did you not correct my misunderstanding that night?"

He thought back to that night, to the hurt and resignation he'd felt when she'd told him she supported his desire to court her sister. "You stopped me before I could finish declaring my desire to court you. I believed it was your way of gently rejecting my suit, of keeping our friendship intact." His gaze lowered to the necklace he'd given her, one she'd never taken off, not even while being courted by William Turner. "I only courted Lana because I could not court you. It was wrong, reprehensible, but I told myself I could learn to love her one day - that I would always treat her with kindness and respect - it was the only way I could justify my actions to myself. I thought I could be happy with you as my sister, but I realized quite soon afterwards what a fool I had been, how I had deluded myself in my desperation. The reason I told you once that I had treated you wrong was because I realized that I should not have given up so easily, should not have been such a coward, should have finished my confession no matter what... That I should not have done I could do to hide my love for you like I did to protect myself from hurt at your potential further rejection."

Chloe stared up at him in utter speechlessness.

"But I never truly gave up hope," he admitted softly. "I came to you over and over, asked you opinions on what I should get her, on how best to woo her, all with the intention of hopefully seeing something on your face which would betray that maybe you had changed your mind – that you reciprocated my feelings – that you did not want me as your _brother_ – but each and every time you smiled so brightly at me and gave me so much support…" he trailed off at the memory, unable to understand how two people who had cared so much about each other could be so blind about how the other truly felt. "I never realized the truth to your feelings until that night on the beach, when you told confessed them to me." His throat tightened with repressed emotion. "I have never wanted to cry as much as I did that night."

Realization hit Chloe visibly as tears slid silently down her cheeks.

"When things ended with Miss Lana I was so relieved not to marry her anymore because I had realized that I could not marry her, but I had not wanted to shame her publicly by ending the engagement, especially when I had proposed with such intentions. I was filled with guilt, but I was also elated, because it meant... but then you told me of your courtship with Mr Turner and it felt like I had been stabbed in the gut. I reread that letter over and over again, trying to accept it, but I could not. My shame, my failure at capturing Sparrow weighed on me, but it was nothing compared to the realization that I could have truly lost you." Just the memory hurt. He'd realized then and there just how much of an idiot he'd been to believe he could be this woman's _brother._ "When I came to your house that night I came to confess my feelings, but I looked in your eyes and you told me you loved him." The pain of the moment was still stark in him. "I had to leave Port Royal, I could not stay and watch you marry him, watch you become his wife."

A stuttered breath escaped her lips.

James moved back in slowly, giving her more than ample opportunity to push him away. If she did he'd move immediately, but Chloe's hands remained clutched at his shirt and she did nothing to stop him as he kissed her. It took a couple of seconds, but her mouth slowly moved with his and her grip on his shirt tightened, pulling him closer.

Something inside of James cried out in happiness but while he wanted to kiss her longer, deeper, he didn't want to push her. He made to pull away... only for his eyes to fly open in surprise when she yanked him back to her and tilted her head, effectively taking control of the kiss and deepening it. He might've made a very unmanly sound at the unexpectedness of it all, but within seconds he completely forgot as his mind blanked and he found himself forgetting they were in the middle of the ocean, probably surrounded by hungry sharks, and leaning up against a pirate ship filled with damnable pirate scum.

Gripping the ladder behind Chloe tighter, James followed her lead and kissed her harder, allowing the hunger he'd held on for so long to be loosened. Their legs intertwined seconds before the sea rocked and water spurted on them.

They pulled away from each other and turned to see a young whale had surfaced so close by they could practically reach out and touch it. In fact, James did just that, awed.

Chloe swam closer and ran her hands over the whale's skin with a smile on her face. "You are so beautiful."

More whales surfaced a little distance from the others, watching.

Chloe continued to rub down the young whale.

James did as well, unable to believe the beasts were so close to them, the baby having obviously come towards them for attention.

The young whale flapped its tail happily before it dove and returned to where the grownups were. Chloe waved to the creatures seconds before they descended into the depths once more. She turned towards James, grin wide, before a flush appeared once more, crawling up her neck.

He could feel his own face hot.

Silence fell between them as they merely stared at each other.

Chloe was finally the one to break it. "I am very confused. I do not know how I feel about you, about Will, about anything."

He couldn't blame her. This situation with a mysterious Voice, William's presence, James' confession – it was more than enough to have her at odds. "I am very patient."

She stared at him in silence, then swam closer and reached up to press a kiss to his cheek. Without another word she climbed up the ladder back onto the Black Pearl.

James pressed a hand to his cheek, smiled, and then followed after her.

* * *

 **TBC**


	10. Tia Dalma

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

* * *

With everything that was going on, Chloe was more than happy when the Black Pearl reached it's destination… or as close to its destination as it possibly could go. The vessel dropped anchor and a couple of the rowboats were lowered so that select crew could row towards the inland river connected to the sea. Chloe ignored James, Will and Lucy and instead kept her eyes on the trees, on the people watching them in silence from the rainforest. The deeper they went inland, the freakier it seemed. There was magic in these waters, in this rainforest.

By the time they finally did reach their destination (a house built on top of a tree sticking out of the water) she felt the tips of her fingertips burning with energy. As they docked their rowboats at the small dock under the treehouse, Jack stood and turned to face them.

"No worries, mates." He anchored his hands on his hips. "Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable, we are." He hesitated. "Were." Flinched. "Have been." Looked somewhat pale. "In the past."

Lucy and Chloe shared looks. That speech wasn't at all comforting.

Lucy leaned in to whisper to Will: "How much do you want to bet that she slaps him?"

Will sent her a raised eyebrow. "I do not take bets I will no doubt lose."

Jack, who'd heard them, pouted and then turned around flamboyantly as he reached the door and peeked in through the open upper-frame. He eased the door open as if scared of who was on the other side.

" _Jack Sparrow_ ," a voice purred from within.

He visibly relaxed more, but was definitely on high alert as he sauntered inside. "Tia Dalma."

Chloe's eyes widened at the sound of that voice. She knew that voice. In seconds she'd scrambled out onto the dock and was headed towards the ladder heading to the front door.

"I always knew da wind would blow ya back to me one day," the voice declared.

Chloe stumbled through the front door in time to see an Afro caribbean woman with her hair in dreads and eyes lined darkly smiling at Jack. When the woman's piercing dark eyes landed on her Chloe knew, she _knew_ , and from the way the woman smiled at her and pushed Jack to the side (he squeaked and flailed) it was obvious that she knew Chloe knew.

" _You_." Tia Dalma, the voice who had been whispering in Chloe's mind, who'd saved her so many times, came closer as she caressed Chloe's cheek. "You have a touch of _destiny_ about you, Chloe Sullivan."

Sullivan? Chloe's eyes widened. Had that been her name in the other world?

"Her name is Chloe _Swann_ ," a voice declared behind Chloe. It belonged to James, and right behind him were Will and Lucy.

Tia Dalma's smile grew as she eyed the three of them. "Destiny also marks you three, two more to be, then time will come, finally."

Lucy blinked. "Uh, okay?"

Tia merely smiled and wrapped an arm around Chloe's shoulder, leading the blonde towards the table. "Come." She sat Chloe down and then motioned for Lucy, Will and James to do so as well, ignoring Jack. "What service might I do you for?" She then finally acknowledged Jack's presence with a sharp: "You know I demand payment."

He grinned nervously and turned to look at Chloe pointedly and closed the door on the rest of his crew right before they tried to come into the house. Gibbs was the only one he let stay, and the man shrugged at the others as they gave him a look. Jack shooed them off with a flick of his wrist before he tiptoed around the odd objects in the room to stand by the table, Gibbs following behind him.

"We brought payment." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a doubloon, it was one of the cursed coins of cortez. "A monkey took it before the Isla de Muerta was swallowed by the sea. The last of its kind it is. Sure it has some delightful," he wriggled his fingers, "you could enjoy."

Tia Dalma yanked the doubloon from him and took a whiff of it before she shrugged and slipped the doubloon into her bosom for safe keeping. "The payment is acceptable, only barely, but acceptable." She turned to Jack once more. "What ye be wantin', Jack?"

Jack, once more, looked to Chloe.

The blonde cleared her throat. "We have need of you, Tia Dalma." _You know why we are here, you told us to come_.

Tia Dalma's lips twitched for a second before her expression was serious once more. "And what help do you be needin'?"

"Jack made a deal with Davy Jones," Chloe responded. "His time is up and Davy Jones is up to collect his soul."

Gibbs' eyes widened.

Lucy's eyes widened.

Will leaned across the table and stared at Chloe. "Davy Jones?" He looked horrified. "He is _real_?"

Chloe nodded.

Will leaned back in his seat, visibly shaken by this revelation.

James, having known this already, merely exchanged a look with Chloe.

Tia Dalma eyed James thoughtfully before her gaze landed on Chloe. "Yer blood removed the black spot, did it not?"

Chloe nodded.

Jack helpfully showed his palms.

"Ye had the black spot?" Gibbs choked. "No wonder we ran ta shore!"

"It was not _running_ ," Jack informed him primly. "It was a _strategic retreat_."

Chloe turned to Tia Dalma, playing along with the charade that the woman in front of her wasn't her master - didn't already know everything she was about to tell her. "My blood can bend curses, and while Jack no longer has the black spot, Davy Jones is master of the sea, he _will_ find him." She rubbed her arm. "And there is also the fact that using my blood tied me to the situation."

Tia Dalma nodded. "What ye seek is da Dead Man's Chest."

Gibbs leaned closer. "What be that?"

"That be Davy Jones' only weakness," she answered before narrowing her eyes on Jack suspiciously. "You know of de legend… The compass you bartered from me, it cannot lead you to it?"

"Maybe." Jack picked up a fine black pirate's hat and eyed it. "Why?"

Tia Dalma's head tilted and she suddenly grinned as she sat down on one of the seats. "I hear you. Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants." She seemed to enjoy that greatly. "Or you _do_ know, but are loathed to claim it as your own."

Jack would not meet her gaze, instead flung the pirate hat away from him.

"What is inside of the chest and how can it be used against Davy Jones?" Lucy wanted to know.

"What do ye know of Davy Jones?" Tia Dalma asked instead of answering.

Lucy shrugged. "Not much, actually. From what I have heard, he is a devil of the sea who sailors and pirates fear."

"Him was a man of the sea," Tia Dalma informed her, "a great sailor until he run afoul of that which vex all men."

"What vexes all men?" Will wanted to know.

Tia Dalma chuckled as she rested her hand on his. "What indeed."

"Well, the sea!" Gibbs announced enthusiastically. "There be nothing that fascinates or vexes a man more than that!"

"It is a _woman_ ," Jack corrected his first mate while examining one of Tia Dalma's many trinkets.

"No, no, it has ta be the sea," Gibbs responded quickly.

Lucy snorted. "You can tell you have never been married, Mr Gibbs." She turned to Tia Dalma. "I have a wife, I can tell you it is most definitely a woman. Nothing can annoy you more than that."

Tia Dalma grinned brightly at Lucy and brushed her shortly cut, sandy colored hair out of her face fondly. "Him fell in love."

"No, no, no no," Gibbs protested. "I heard it was the _sea_ he fell in love with."

"Same story, different versions, and all are true," Tia Dalma assured him with a wave of her finger. "See, it was a woman as changing and harsh and untamable as the sea." She glanced between Will and James cunningly. "Him never stop loving her. But the pain it cause him was too much to live with, but not enough to cause him to die."

Will's gaze shifted onto Chloe.

So did James'.

She felt both gazes on her and couldn't look up from the table. She didn't know what she felt right now, for either of them. Everything was so confusing, so conflicting. Both had loved her, both still obviously felt something for her - both had broken her heart. She was scared, confused.

"What did he place in the chest?" Lucy wanted to know.

Tia Dalma smiled softly. "Him heart."

"Literally?" James' asked in a hoarse tone.

"He could not have _literally_ put his heart in a _chest_ ," Will replied before he paused, obviously remembering all they had lived through due to the supernatural. He turned to Tia Dalma suspiciously. " _Could_ he?"

"It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings," she answered. "And so… him carve out him heart, lock it away in a chest and hide the chest from the world. Him keep da key to dat chest with him at all times."

"Good!" Jack grinned. "All that's left is to climb aboard the _Flying Dutchman_ , grab the key, and then we all go to Tortuga for rum and wenches!" He threw his hands up in the air in celebration, and then paused. "Except for young cygnet of course, being married and all, rum will have to suffice."

Tia Dalma raised a finger for him to wait, and sauntered off into an adjoining room which was mostly hidden by hanging trinkets held together by string. "I have just the thing. Now, where did I put it?" Things clattered and rattled as she searched for something. "Such a long time in such a mess."

Jack leaned over Chloe and reached for a ring left on the table.

She slapped his hand, hard.

He cried out and yanked his hand back, cradling it, expression scandalized that she would do such a thing.

Will covered his face in shame.

James stared at Jack in disgust.

Lucy rolled her eyes.

Gibbs honestly didn't look like he found Jack trying to steal from the obeah woman all that odd.

"Davy Jones cannot make port," Tia Dalma announced as she returned with a jar in arms. "Cannot step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow…"

Jack eyed the jar in her hands curiously.

"…and so you will carry land with you."

Jack blinked and reached for the jar when she handed it to him. He observed it for a moment, peeked over at Tia Dalma, made a face and looked at the jar once more, clearly mulling how to ask the question on the tip of his tongue. "Dirt." He paused. "This is a jar of dirt."

"Yes," she responded, surprised he was questioning her gift.

Jack pursed his lips. "Is the jar of dirt going to _help_?"

"If you don't want it, give it back," Tia Dalma replied with an air of threat.

Jack held the jar to his chest as if it were the most precious thing in the world to him. " _No_."

She smirked. "Den it helps."

"What about Chloe?" Will asked as he stood. "She is tied to this as well, what is there to protect _her_?"

Tia Dalma eyed him thoughtfully before she reached out and tapped Chloe innocently on her hip. "She be safe."

Chloe's gaze shifted to James to find his eyes on her in understanding. He knew about the tattoo, knew that it had been given to her by the Voice, and he was obviously putting two and two together.

Will seemed to be pondering something, yet didn't speak any further.

Lucy peered around the room before she turned to Tia Dalma. "It would seem we have need to find the Flying Dutchman."

"Me thought you did not know much about Davy Jones," Tia Dalma announced with a glance in her direction.

"I do not," Lucy assured her. "But anyone who has sailed on a vessel has at least heard of him and his ship."

Tia Dalma's gaze turned to Chloe as she held her hand out to her. "Come, the boy's heart will not settle. Let me see what I can give to you to calm him heart." When Chloe placed her hand in hers, Tia Dalma pulled her up from the seat and took her to the adjoining room, which truly was a mess.

Chloe waited until they were mostly covered to lower her voice to a barely audible whisper. "It is _you_." She'd thought the whole while that the one she'd been hearing was the goddess Calypso, and yet it was instead the obeah priestess this whole time.

Tia Dalma smiled brightly. "Yes, it is _me_."

"Why did you not tell me I was coming to see _you_?" Chloe wanted to know.

The woman did not answer, merely curled her finger and beckoned Chloe closer. When the girl was a breath away, Tia Dalma spoke. " _You_ must be da one to see Davy Jones, not anyone else. I will give 'em only the coordinates to _halfway_ dere, and once dey sleep you must escape and go da rest of da way alone."

"Why?" Chloe asked. "What do I do? What do I say? What do you _want_?"

"Mi want dat _key_ ," Tia Dalma responded evenly. "Find Davy Jones' key, da key to da Dead Man's Chest, and bring it ta _me_."

"You want Davy Jones' heart?" Chloe whispered.

The woman shook her head. "Mi no want de chest, mi want da key."

Sudden realization hit. "They key doesn't _just_ open the Dead Man's chest, it does something else as well, doesn't it?"

"What a sharp lickle mind," Tia Dalma praised as she tapped Chloe's temple with a fingertip. "Davy Jones will na give up dat key easily. Him keep it close ta where 'is 'eart should be." She leaned in closer. "It will be dangerous, and painful, ta take from him."

Chloe took in a deep breath. "I do not know how I will accomplish this."

"I would'na picked you for dis task if you did nah have da ability to do so," Tia Dalma informed her. "Bring da key to me, and you will 'ave completed da first half of what you owe me."

Chloe's eyes widened at the thought of being free. "Half completed?" When the other woman nodded she grinned. "I will bring you his key, no matter what it takes."

In response, Tia Dalma slapped a bracelet on Chloe's wrist. It was engraved with the design of crabs. "Good."

"What is this?" Chloe lifted her hand to eye the iron cuff.

"It was once given by Davy Jones to the goddess Calypso… wid some _minor_ modifications him na know about." Tia Dalma's dark gaze rose to Chloe's greens. "You be seeing them, no? Davy Jones and him goddess?" When Chloe nodded Tia Dalma did not look surprised at all. "It's da connection you forged when you removed da Black Spot." She stepped back. "Wid dis, Davy Jones will be too tempted not ta listen ta what you have ta say."

 _Great, now all I have to do is figure out what to say to get him to give me the key to his chest._ That would be no easy task.

"Plus, dey will be suspicious if you return wid nottin'." Tia Dalma motioned towards the other room and those who awaited them.

Chloe turned to go to them before she paused and turned to Tia Dalma. "Can I tell anyone else other than James about you? Or at least about the Voice?"

The woman did not respond, merely pointed back outside.

Taking in a deep breath, Chloe nodded and emerged from the room with Tia Dalma right behind her.

* * *

 **TBC**


	11. Davy Jones

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

* * *

With Tia Dalma's directions they made it to a wreckage. Jack made sure to keep down wind and out of sight of the wreckage, a guard up at all hours keeping an eye on the unlucky vessel crashed upon a reef. Davy Jones would come for the souls on that ship, they were all secure in the knowledge, all except Chloe. Tia Dalma had assured her that the directions she'd given the others were only to the _halfway point_ , that Chloe must continue on her own. But Chloe couldn't sneak away, not with a watchman at every hour, not with James, Will, and Lucy keeping an eye on her.

It was why she had brought into (semi) confidence the one person she knew would not try to keep her aboard the Pearl.

Jack Sparrow's kohl-lined eyes widened and he grinned, brightly, proving just how relieved he was that he would not be in such close distance from Davy Jones or the Flying Dutchman. "So you want my help to sneak off the Pearl and be on your merry way to see the dastardly Jones on your lonesome, eh?"

"Tia Dalma said I had to be the only one to see him," Chloe explained that much. "It makes sense, really, if you or the others are anywhere near you will be liabilities. I need to talk to him, face to face, and he has no reason to hurt _me_."

Jack's sharp, cunning gaze proved he knew there was more to this story than she was letting on, but that he honestly didn't care. This arrangement worked in his favor and he was obviously jumping on it enthusiastically. "I _could_ have a pint too much and distract Ragetti during his watch. I would do it during Cotton's but his parrot has a sharp eye and loose beak. He will go babble it all the second he gets wise of the situation."

Chloe nodded as she took in a deep breath. "I will use the distraction and get into the rowboat." She glanced up at Jack. "What do you want most in this world?"

Visibly taken aback, Jack blinked. "And why, pray tell, would you want to know such a thing?"

"Well, I am going to meet with Davy Jones because you can not use your compass," she responded. "You should want Davy Jones' chest more than anything in this world, but there is something stronger than that. Considering you are very much into self-preservation I am curious as to what could be competing with that."

"It is nothing for you to worry about, Blonde Swann," Jack assured her with a pat on her head, making her feel like a puppy. "Now, scurry off into hiding." He shooed her away with rapid movements of his hands. "T'will soon be time for mischief."

* * *

"TORTUGA?!"

Lana flinched at the sound of her father's outrage. She wasn't sure exactly how they'd managed to sail as long as they had before their father finally figured out that they weren't heading to England. She'd known he'd be unhappy with this unexpected turn of events, but she wasn't used to the sound of him bellowing.

Lois, for her part, looked unconcerned. "Cutler has the king's ear. It is unwise to go to sovereign soil until this issue has been resolved."

"But _Tortuga_?" Father cried out in horror. "Amongst those… those…"

"We'll be safe with Lucy," Lois interrupted him. "She will give us shelter."

At his youngest daughter's name, father sighed and lowered his head. "I am unhappy with this, Lois."

"I know, papa," she responded. "But there is nothing you can do. We are almost there."

It couldn't come soon enough for Lana as she turned her back on them and peered out of the cabin's window at the endless sea. How she hated the sea! Hated it with every fiber of her being. Nothing good had ever come from the sea. Only sadness and sorrow. It'd taken one sister away from her, and she would not allow it to claim another.

Staring at the vast sea, Lana hugged herself and promised that no matter what she had to do, she was protecting her family from hereon out.

* * *

As per usual, the plan did not go as, er, planned. Then again, they should've known that where Ragetti was, Pintel would no doubt be as well, if only because the two argued like an old married couple. With both Ragetti and Pintel on deck there was no way Jack could sufficiently distract enough for them both not to notice her lowering the rowboat, and while Jack gave a valiant effort (enough to shock and distract _her_ for a second while she watched his magnificent flailing and such) Chloe only just managed to dive off of the side of the Black Pearl before the two on watch noticed her.

Her body pierced through the water like an arrow, sending her down, down, and even further into the dark waters. She glanced up at the Black Pearl as it sat anchored in the deep. The waters were so black she couldn't see anything around her, so she chose to surface otherwise she'd be blind.

Taking in a deep breath, Chloe peered up at the side of the Black Pearl and hesitated a second. She should've said goodbye, should've—-. _No_. If she had he wouldn't have let her leave, and she needed to do this alone.

Steeling herself for what would prove to be a grueling swim, Chloe dove under the surface yet kept close to it. Tia Dalma had told her that she'd _know_ the way to Davy Jones once she made it to the halfway point, but the girl had no clue where to go or how far it would be. She almost surfaced once more, confused and lost, when suddenly her tattoo warmed almost painfully, glowing brightly, the outline completely visible through her wet clothes.

Suddenly the sea rocked around her, and something emerged from the black besides her, spurting water on her. Chloe's eyes widened in surprise to see the young whale once more. It rubbed against her and she petted it once more, watching as its family appeared in the distance, waiting.

"James will be so jealous when I tell him about this," she whispered with a chuckle before easing herself onto the young whale. It was a good deal larger than a dolphin, and hard to straddle, but the second he fixed herself upon its back it dove under. Chloe plastered her body over its back, her arms holding onto its side. How she didn't just slip off was a mystery to her, but somehow she managed to stay on and ride the young whale's back as it made its way to where the other, larger group awaited.

The moment they reached the adults, they dove under to join them, and as one the whole pod started off together.

Chloe sent one last look over her shoulder at the Black Pearl before she pressed her cheek against the whale's back and let it take her far away from those she loved, and closer towards Davy Jones. She still wasn't sure exactly how she was going to find the key to his chest, and how she was going to get it from him, but she knew she had to do this alone. Not only had Tia Dalma told her so, but there was no way that she'd put those she loved in danger's way by bringing anyone along.

 _But what do I do?_

She had no idea, and it terrified her.

Chloe wracked her brain, trying to think of what to do. She didn't know how long she rode on the youngest whale's back, but when the pod finally rested and surfaced once more she found herself next to a wreckage. It was fresh, groans of pain, of the dying, surrounding her. The whales wouldn't get any closer to it and she didn't blame them.

With a soft thank you to them, she slid off of the young whale's back and swam the rest of the distance to the wreckage. In fact, she was in the midst of pulling herself onto the wreckage when she felt the change in the water, the ripples, and instead of completely pulling herself up she instead let go and allowed herself to fall back into the water seconds before a large ship emerged from the dark sea on the other side of the marooned ship.

Submerging herself fully, Chloe peered around the edge to see creatures, half human and half man, boarding the wreckage. They gathered up the surviving men, forcing them to kneel in a row, as a man - was he truly a man? - emerged from the waters and thumped his way towards them. He was the perfect mixture of a human and a squid or octopus. He had to be Davy Jones, and yet she'd never imagined him to look so inhuman.

"Five men still alive," one of the men, the one who seemed half hammerhead shark, turned to Davy Jones. "The rest have moved on."

Davy Jones thumped down the line, each step loud and menacing, before he stopped at random and peered into the face of one of the men, this particular one close to sobbing in fright. "Do you fear death?" When the man nodded with a whimper, Davy Jones continued on. "Do you fear that dark abyss?" Once more the man nodded. "All your deeds laid bare, all your sins punished. I can offer you an escape."

"Do not listen to him!" One of the men cried out, holding a crucifix, and yet when Davy Jones swung his head to glare at him the man flinched and lowered his gaze immediately.

Standing, Davy Jones moved to the man and grabbed his throat, and that was when Chloe realized his hand was a crab's claw, the man's throat between the pinchers menacingly. "Do you not fear death?"

"I'll take my chances, sir," the man replied shakily.

Davy Jones released him and turned to one of his men. "To the depths."

In seconds his minion had slit the man's throat and thrown his body overboard to be claimed by the sea.

Chloe covered her mouth with her hand to silence her gasp of horror.

"Cruel blackguard!" One of the men cried out.

Davy Jones turned to him. "Life is cruel." He sneered in disgust. "Why should the afterlife be any different?" He continued to walk the line. "I offer you a choice: join my crew and postpone the judgment. 100 years before the mast." He stopped at the one he'd been conversing with before and stared him in his eyes. "Will ye serve?"

"I-I w-will serve," the man confirmed in fear.

" _There_." Davy Jones nodded to his men before he suddenly froze and turned around to face Chloe's direction. His eyes narrowed as he moved towards that side of the ship.

Every instinct told Chloe to hide, to lower further into the black and hide within, but she'd come here to see Davy Jones, to speak to him, and she couldn't back down.

When he peered over the side down at her there was obvious surprise in his orbs. "You be not dead or dying." His eyes narrowed. "What be your purpose here?"

She lifted the hand which had the cuff out of the water. "We need to speak, Davy Jones."

If the cephalopod/human hybrid could blanch he would've. He reeled back a step before his eyes narrowed and he let out an odd sound as he returned to the side to glare down at her. "Who be ye and why should I agree to this talk?"

What did she say? What could she say? She couldn't tip him off to the fact that this was about the key to the chest with his heart in it - and yet how did she find out where he had the key without doing just that? Tia Dalma said that Davy Jones had the key on him at time so it had to be in his clothes. How exactly was she supposed to lift it from him?

"You're the master of the seven seas, are you not? Nothing happens upon these waves that you know not of." She swam closer, eyes on him and only him. "Surely you've heard of Captain Hector Barbossa's cursed pirate crew." At his look of boredom she continued on. "And you must have heard how that curse was lifted, shifted, in their benefit by me."

There was a murmur from his fishmen crew, betraying that word _had_ reached the Flying Dutchman.

"I see." Davy Jones made up his face in disgust. "Have you come to barter your services then? Think you have the power to go against your mistress and undo her spell do you?"

She could hear the murmurs from the crew but didn't allow them to distract her from him. "What will it hurt for you to listen to my offer, Davy Jones? What could you possibly lose?"

"I smell Jack _Sparrow_ on you," Davy Jones surprised her by saying. "That is quite the coincidence considering his Black Spot has disappeared so _miraculously_."

She smiled innocently at the accusation.

His eyes narrowed on her and he turned towards the hammerhead-shark-man. "Accompany her to the brig. Maybe with some time to herself she will learn tis better not to smile in my company."

The men laughed.

Chloe forced her smile to remain on her face, but as the hammerhead henchman jumped into the water after her it was very hard to pretend that she wasn't absolutely terrified.

* * *

Lana Swann peered around the Captain's Bride in search of her cross-dressing sister, but she couldn't see hide or hair of Lucy anywhere. Even though they were here she still could not believe it. Not only was this place not exactly to her liking, but she could see that father was about to have a conniption, or faint. Or possibly both.

" _You_." Lois noticed someone and stormed to the counter. "I remember you from the last time I was in Tortuga."

Lana gripped tightly to her father and led him towards the counter, worried for him as he held a handkerchief to his nose, apparently unable to take the smell of the place.

The blonde on the other side of the counter frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Lois glared at her. "Where is Lou?"

The blonde - who Lana now remembered as one of the prostitutes who'd slapped Jack - glanced around the bar warily before she smiled (it was visibly forced) and came around to greet them. "Lou is gone on a voyage at this moment, private business."

"Oi! Gi!" Someone else yelled, a redhead with a fake mole who looked somewhat familiar as well. "Who be these hoity-toities?"

Lana glanced down at her dress. They'd all worn their plainest apparel, and yet she realized that it was leaps and bounds from the others in this place.

"They be Lou's sisters," Gi replied. "And…"

"I am Luc—," father began.

"He is our father," Lois interrupted him and turned to Giselle.

Father continued on, eyeing Giselle. "Who are you and why are you in charge of this _establishment_ while my child is gone? And how long will this voyage last?"

A huge commotion rose in the bar.

"Dey don't know?"

"How is it possible?"

"De udder sister knew!"

Lana turned towards the toothless man at that. The _other_ sister? Had they meant Chloe? She _had_ visited the Captain's Bride, Lana knew that, but what exactly had the blonde known that hadn't been told to them?

"Father, the trip has been heavy on you," Lois declared oddly. "You _know_ who she is." She turned to Gi, not looking very happy at all. "That is Giselle Swann, your daughter-in-law."

" _What_?" Father turned to look at Lois in horror.

So did Lana.

Giselle cleared her throat and nodded as she puffed out her chest and raised her chin defiantly. "Aye, I be Lou's wife."

Lana turned to _Giselle_ in horror. Lucy had married _the prostitute_? No! That _had_ to be a lie! _Why_ would Lucy marry a prostitute? Why marry a woman _at all_? And even if there was some good reason as to why she'd had to marry _a woman_ … why a _prostitute_? SURELY there must've been someone with a better background that Lucy could've brought into the Swann Family! Sure, Giselle mightn't _look_ like a prostitute anymore, but Lana and Lois already knew all about her sordid past! How could they accept her? Accept the marriage?

 _You have a lot of explaining to do when we see you next, Lucy Swann. Father will not tolerate this. Dressing up as a boy and being among pirates is one thing, but marrying someone of your own gender? And a prostitute at that?_ She honestly feared for her sister's soul. If father didn't condemn it, god surely would.

She turned towards father, terrified of how furious he must be… only to find him white as a sheet.

"Are you ill, father?" Lois asked, sounding just as unhappy and just as nervous as Lana.

Governor Weatherby Swann didn't answer her. He dabbed his napkin to his forehead, which was pale and glistened with sweat. He cleared his throat and eyed Giselle, who stood tall and defiant in front of him. "You married my d— _child_ legally? In a church?" He turned to Lois, loudly whispering: " _Does this godforsaken island even_ ** _have_** _a church_?"

Lois shrugged.

"We did," Giselle answered, bringing the attention back on her. "It was a private ceremony in the little chapel outside of the town. Before god and man."

Father dabbed his forehead even more rapidly. "This is highly unorthodox."

Giselle nodded. "Lou wished you could have been there but he understood your position."

Father huffed, eyes narrowed. "This is unforgivable."

Lana flinched. Oh no.

"This is an _outrage_!" Father snarled, throwing his hands up, not seeming to see the many patrons who stood protectively in Giselle's defense. "How could you do this to me, the _both_ of you?" He turned to Lois. "You _knew_ of the marriage!"

"Only after it had occurred," Lois assured him quickly with a glance around at the unhappy patrons. "Father, please, I know that this must be hard for you—."

" _Hard_ for me?" Father snapped. " _HARD_ for me? This breaks my heart!" He turned to Giselle and took a step towards her, once more seeming oblivious to the unhappy patrons eyes him warily. "You married _my child_. Legally. In a church. _Before god_."

Giselle stared directly in his eyes. "I did."

Father took one step, and then another, and then swooped Giselle into his arms, hugging the shocked woman tightly.

Giselle squeaked, her eyes wide in shock. "S-sir?"

" _Sir_?" Father huffed. "You are legally married to my child, you must call me _father_ or I will be insulted."

Lois' mouth fell open. " _F-father_?"

Lana leaned hard against the wall as a cheer rose from the patrons, who were apparently quite happy with this turn of events and managed to sit down, knocking their tankards of ale together.

"I was so worried my child had left us for _some pirate_! One who would be the reason s— _he_ —would one day swing from a rope!" Father explained, utter relief in his face. "The _relief_ I feel right now is overwhelming! My heart will not stop!" He pulled away from Giselle. "Although… _poor form_ in not having us at the wedding. I would have managed it somehow."

Giselle just _stared_ up at father in shock. "Y-you—are you giving us _your_ _blessing_ , sir?"

"I never thought my child would ever marry," Father assured her. "I was worried _Lou_ would be alone and unable to find anyone to protect or provide for… or that _some pirate_ would be the death of he- _him_." He cleared his throat, hands on Giselle's arms. "Come, you must tell me all about you, daughter."

Giselle blinked and then smiled brightly in relief, looking so much younger than Lana had actually figured her to be. "Come, father, sisters, I will have rooms made up for you in our home." With that she linked her arm through father's and took him on a tour.

Lois and Lana shared looks, wondering just what in the world had just happened.

* * *

"I will have your _heart_!" James snarled at Jack, the tip of his sword pressed against the pirate's chest, seeming not to care or even notice the other pirates with their swords drawn against him. "She could _not_ have left this ship unseen without help, I _know_ it was you. You are the only one foul-hearted enough to send an innocent girl to her certain death if it meant you had a chance of saving your own!"

"Now now ex-commodore…" Jack held his hands up, a smile on his face. "Let us not waste time. Young Miss Swann is doing her part, and we should honor her wishes and do ours as well."

"And what exactly _is_ our part?" Will asked, voice low and calm, but there was a storm brewing in his eyes.

Lucy glanced between Jack, James, and Will, her hand on the hilt of her sword and yet not pulling it out just yet. Should Jack's answer be something she did not agree with she'd join James with her weapon's tip to the pirate's throat.

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out his compass.

Will's eyes widened and he took a step towards Jack. "We can find her with that!" He turned to James. "That compass points to whatever your heart desires to find the most - we can use it to find where she is."

Jack shifted his grip on the compass and held it high out of grip. "Yes, of course, we _could_ do that, _or_ we could do the _smart_ thing."

"And what, pray tell, would the _smart_ thing be?" James' voice was filled with disgust.

"She be searching for the key to Davy Jones' chest, mate." Jack glanced between both men. "What use be the key if we do not find the chest it opens?"

Will's eyes were growing murderous. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it? To use everyone to find the thing _you_ want!" He yanked out his sword and aimed the tip at Jack, just as James had. "Well, we are not going through with your plan, Jack. We are taking the compass and we are going to find Chloe and save her."

"How have your _many_ plans of saving young Blonde Swann gone for you in the past, eh?" Jack wanted to know with a taunt that caused Will to flinch. "I did nah come up with this plan, nor did I twist her arm behind her to get her compliance. The lass came to _me_ because she knew _you two_ would nah let her go. Or worse, you'd want to go with her, and let's be honest here, out of all of us she is the one with the luck of the devil when it comes to somehow surviving despite everything."

Lucy frowned because he was making sense, and she hated it.

"So, instead of going against her plan and going _straight towards death_ like a merry band of idiots with no sort of plan or _way_ to battle Davy Jones or his crewmen or little _pet_ … Not to mention endanger her plan with our very presence…" Jack cleared his throat. "We could instead go with her plan and do our part so that when she has procured the key, we already have the chest ready for her return."

Will shook his head. "Either you give us the compass, Jack, or we will take it from you. We are going after her."

James closed his eyes tightly and let out a deep breath before he surprised everyone by lowering and sheathing his sword. "Unfortunately, Mr Turner, Sparrow is right."

"He is?" One of the pirates asked in surprise.

"I am?" Jack looked shocked as well, before he cleared his throat and nodded enthusiastically. "Of course I am!"

"You cannot be serious." Will turned to James with narrowed eyes. "We have to go after her!"

"No. If she had wanted us to she would have told us." James shook his head, looking extremely unhappy with the situation yet staying strong, stoic. "Sparrow is right that not only do we not have a way of fighting Jones and his crew or Kraken… but our mere presence might put her in danger… or give Jones leverage over her if he uses our lives as a bargaining chip." He grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, that grip so tight it shook. He was clearly unhappy to be saying this. "Our best course of action - the only way we can actually help her - is by uncovering Jones' chest and having it at the ready for when she returns."

"She has gone, by herself, to a ship filled with murderous pirates!" Will snapped, his sword now aimed at James. "I thought you loved her but obviously I was wrong if you are willing to sacrifice her like this!"

James' eyes went a blue so dark they were almost as dark as Will's. "I _trust_ Chloe to have this under control, to have a _plan_. I do not like this, I _want_ to go after her, but I have to put aside _my wants_ and instead do what is best, what is smartest." He flinched. "And no matter how much it pains me to admit it, Sparrow is right: acquiring the chest is our best move."

"Best for _who_?" Will snapped, this whole situtaion reminding Lucy of when Chloe had been kidnapped by Blackbeard's crew. "What do you want the chest for so badly?"

" _I do not want it_!" James finally broke, his voice low and dangerous. "I _want_ to go after her! I _want_ to make sure she's safe! I _want_ to be the one to protect her! Like I told you when she was kidnapped by Barbossa: Do not make the mistake in thinking you are the only man here who cares for Chloe." He took in a deep breath. "But this isn't like when she was taken by Barbossa or even those mermaids, Mr Turner. She wasn't _kidnapped_. She _left_. Willingly. And I have to understand that what _I want_ does not matter. What matter is what _she needs_ , and what _she needs_ is for us to _help_ her endeavor, not _impede_ it." He motioned to Jack wordlessly, hand held out.

Jack eyed him curiously before suddenly realizing what he wanted and passed him the compass.

James turned to face Lucy. "Miss Lucy, can you desire the Dead Man's Chest with all your heart? Can you wish to find it more than you wish to find your sister?"

Lucy stared at James, feeling like she'd never actually seen him before. She'd thought she'd known him, had had him figured out, and yet the man standing in front of her asking her to want to find the Dead Man's Chest over her own sister was a stranger to her. "Yes." She tried not to look at Will, could feel his sense of betrayal. "I can want to find the Dead Man's Chest more because by finding it, we will help and hopefully find Chloe."

James nodded and passed her the compass wordlessly.

Lucy took in a deep breath and stared down at the compass' needle as it found a bearing.

* * *

 **TBC**


	12. Calypso's Lullaby

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

* * *

Sitting in the brig, Chloe leaned back against the wall and hugged her knees to her chest. The hammerhead guy had thrown her in here and left her locked up. That had a day ago,a whole day since the ship had sailed off to only the gods knew where. She could hear yelling and the crack of whips above her as the crew manned the ship.

It wasn't surprising that Davy Jones had left her below for so long. No. He was proving his control, his absolute power over her. She didn't mind it though. It gave her time to come up with what she was going to do, how she was going to pull this off. Somehow she was going to have to find out where Davy Jones had hidden the key to his chest, but also figure out how to get it and get back to where the others were.

Peering down at the cuff bracelet Tia Dalma had given her, Chloe frowned as she ran her fingers over the design of crabs. One particular crab held a heart in its claw, and when Chloe ran her finger over the heart, tracing it, the front of the bracelet opened to reveal that it held a hollow compartment, a hidden place. _That is why you gave this to me_ , she realized in shock, remembering Tia Dalma's comment on how the bracelet had a new modification Jones did not know about. _I am to keep the key here when I find it_.

But how was she supposed to _get_ the key in the first place? That was the question she asked herself all day as she rested her chin against her knees.

 _Please don't do something stupid like coming for me_ , Chloe silently begged those back on the Black Pearl. Her fingers curled around the swan pendant and she clasped it tightly, stomach rolling at the thought of James, Lucy and Will somehow forcing the pirates to come after her. _No, James wouldn't do that_ , a part of her comforted. _He knows that you're doing this for a reason, he will understand, he will hate it but will not do anything to put you or the others in more danger_. But she couldn't say the same about Will and Lucy, so her nerves continues to grow. Everything would've been so much easier if Tia Dalma had given her permission to tell Will and Lucy the truth! _Enough worrying, plan, Chloe! You are wasting time!_

By the time the hammerhead returned for her late in the evening she had some semblance of a plan and was on her feet.

"The cap'n will see you now," the hammerhead declared as he unlocked the door and flung it open.

"Thank you." She walked out and stood by his side. "What is your name?"

He seemed a little surprised at the question yet frowned at her. "Maccus." He then sneered. "Now get moving, the cap'n is not one to be kept waiting."

Chloe nodded and allowed herself to be led throughout the cursed ship. She caught glances of the crew, all part men part sea creature. In a way she felt their curse greater than Barbossa's crew. They'd lost such a huge part of their humanity, how could they not become monsters when they appeared to be them? Surprising pity filled her as she saw yet another crewman, but this one seemed to be becoming part of the ship. Was that the last phase of this curse? _How horrible_.

Finally they reached the captain's chambers and were greeted by the sound of an organ playing. Maccus opened the door, motioned her inside, and when she did he closed the door behind her, trapping her inside of the incredibly large captain's quarters. This was even bigger than the one in the Pearl.

Davy Jones sat at a demonic looking organ, his fingers and… tentacle beard… helping him play the haunting melody. It was a beautiful sound, but also a familiar one. Why was it so familiar? Chloe narrowed her eyes as she moved closer, almost as if drawn by the sound towards the organ. And then, right before she reached Davy Jones, the vision took over with ferocity.

…

 _He sat before the large organ, playing the tone that emerged from his heart whenever he saw her._

 _She sat on the window-frame, half out half in, a smile on her face as she listened to the beautiful sound._

 _When the tone was finally over, the sailor, the_ ** _captain_** _, rose from the organ and moved towards the window, towards her. There was adoration, love, devotion, mingled on his handsome face. "Do you like it?" He asked as he cupped her face with his hands tenderly._

 _She nodded, gaze on him, only for him. "Tis a beautiful tone."_

 _"I call it Calypso's Lullaby," he whispered. "I wrote it for thee."_

 _Calypso leaned into his touch and pressed a kiss to his inner wrist. "Tis more beautiful than the song of the siren," she whispered against his skin. She then turned her gaze to him and cupped his face, her fingers dancing slowly through his beard playfully. Her gaze rose to meet his and she kissed him._

 _Davy Jones eased her further into his arms and returned it with just as much love, if not more_.

…

"What be the meaning of this?" The furious voice shocked her out of her vision. "What be these parlor tricks?"

Blinking back into the present, Chloe found Davy Jones standing in front of her in all his tentacled glory. She fought the instant desire to step away from him, only to realize his crab-claw-hand was around her neck dangerously. When had he done that? She told herself to stay calm, and instead of panicking merely stared up at him and tried to understand how something like him could've once been the handsome sailor she'd seen in her visions. How had he and his crew become so horribly cursed?

His claw tightened around her neck threateningly. "How did you see that memory?"

Chloe's eyes widened and her voice cracked in utter shock. "You _saw_ that?"

Davy Jones must've seen something in her expression, because his eyes narrowed and his face turned disturbed. "Why do you have that memory?"

"I know not," she responded truthfully. "But I have been seeing things lately, things I do not understand. I saw you meeting her, but not this you," she stared at his tentacles, "the _real_ you. The human you." She cleared her throat. "I saw her give you the shell shaped like a heart, the one the crab handed to you?"

Davy's eyes narrowed on her. "How _long_ have you been seeing these images?"

She wondered if she should be truthful or not, and then realized that with his claw around her throat she probably should. "Since I helped Jack Sparrow remove your Black Spot. It—it did something to me, I do not know what. But ever since then I see images of you and her, and I do not know _why_."

There was something almost terrified in his eyes. "How old be thou?"

"That is not a question a gentleman should ask a lady," she responded with a raised eyebrow, somehow more annoyed with him than terrified. "Did your father not teach you how to address those of the fairer sex?"

Something about that had Davy letting go of her immediately and taking a step back, that weird look of fear still there. " _It cannot be_."

Rubbing her neck, Chloe frowned at him and his odd reactions. "Do you know why I am seeing memories of you and the goddess Calypso?"

"Why are you here?" Davy wanted to know, voice harsh.

She raised her chin. Fine. He wanted to play it that way she could as well. "What could you have possibly done to deserve a curse like this one?" She stared at him, still disbelieving. "You used to be _so handsome_."

He flinched back, as if she'd hit him, and when he moved towards her once more it was with fury. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?" His crab-claw-hand caught her once more by her neck and lifted her painfully off the ground.

Choking, Chloe gripped at the pincers and tried desperately to breathe and pull them apart to free herself.

…

 _Will stood by the water but his gaze was on the shaft of moonlight falling from a crack above him… and the way his hand turned skeletal under its beam._

 _"Why did you do it, Will?" Chloe whispered, having made her way towards him while he'd been observing his hand in morbid fascination._

 _He jerked out of the moonlight, almost as if afraid to let her see him like that. "I didn't have much of a choice."_

 _"You didn't put up much of a fight either," she countered as she reached for his hand and brought it to the moonlight, watching the transformation. "You shouldn't be like this, Will. This shouldn't be you."_

 _He was silent._

 _Her chest heaved with a myriad of conflicting emotions. "Lana…"_

 _"The feelings I have for Miss Lana are purely platonic, brotherly. I do not love her like a man does a man, and I never shall." He shifted their hands so that his skeletal one was holding hers as he stared into her eyes._

 _Chloe stared up into in face and gulped as sudden, shocking, understanding hit her like a lightning bolt. She couldn't believe it, but the proof was right in front of her._

 _How could I have been so blind?_

 _She didn't say anything, couldn't say anything, but didn't take her hand from his._

…

Chloe's eyes widened in shock as she stared up at Davy Jones' face. Why had she seen that right then?

His eyes narrowed and he tightened his grip on her, completely cutting off her oxygen. She fought with him desperately, her hands in his tentacle beard, clawing, desperately searching for his neck to choke him, to scratch him, to do _anything_. But as she struggled, black spots appearing in front of her eyes, Davy Jones' _neck_ was not the thing her fingers came into contact with.

…

 _"Look at me, concentrate on my voice, focus on me." His voice was distorted, his face completely hidden by shadow as he loomed over her on the back, backlit by the moon. "Chloe!"_

 _At the sound of her name Chloe took in a gulp of air as suddenly the distortion, the pain, disappeared. "The pain is gone."_

 _He let out a sigh of relief that visibly shook his whole body as he lowered his head, dark curls wet and causing droplets of water to fall onto her face. "What happened while you were down there? When I found you—."_

 _"James?" Finally recognizing her savior, Chloe peered up into his shadowed face. "Why - you were sleeping. How did you know to come?"_

 _He let out a soft breath. "I do not know." He moved so that he now sat on his knees instead of looming over her. "All I know is that I awoke with a great and terrible fright, and when I could not find you in your room I knew you must be here."_

 _Chloe sat up, sand clinging to her wet body. "You swam all the way… you dove that distance for me?"_

 _James Norrington nodded. "Of course I did."_

 _Her heart raced and she lost her voice. James had always cared for her, protected her, and yet this felt different somehow. This… she did not know how to explain the how or the why._

…

Suddenly Davy Jones flung her away from him so hard she hit the wall and slid down.

"MISTER MACCUS!" Davy Jones bellowed, and the door opened immediately. "Take our prisoner back to the brig. _Now!_ "

The hammerhead man nodded and yanked Chloe up to her feet, his grip on her upper-arm tight and unforgiving as he escorted her all the way back to the brig, which he threw her into.

Once the cell door was locked, Chloe waited a beat to make sure she was actually alone, before she unclenched her fists to show the item she'd felt while fighting off Davy Jones.

In her hand was a key.

* * *

Considering they needed to restock for their journey, and Tortuga was much closer than any other other pirate-welcoming port, they'd made the journey towards the island. It'd taken them out of the way, and they would definitely have to make up for the many days they'd lost, but it was worth it. They didn't know where the Dead Man's Chest was hidden, so they needed to have enough food and water to get them wherever they needed to go.

Lucy, to be honest, was glad that they'd had to make the detour. She'd been away from the Captain's Bride for a long time again, after having only just arrived from her trip to Port Royal. Not only did Lucy miss her home, but she was worried about how Gi and Scarlet were behaving while she was gone. A part of her almost expected anarchy (or, at least, more anarchy than usual) when she entered her establishment, but instead found it quite calm.

Or, well, the patrons were all calm and apparently all looking in the same directions while snickering. The "same direction" was in the direction of two women, two of whom were snarling and snapping at each other, apparently about to claw each other's eyes out. One Lucy could recognize as Giselle, the other looked somewhat familiar but Lucy couldn't place, or well, she would've if the guys hadn't all noticed her return and yelled their greetings, catching her off guard.

Surrounded by her usual patrons, Lucy smiled and greeted them, shaking hands, patting backs, trying to make her way towards where she'd seen Gi with whoever that other person was.

"Out of my way you _dolt_!" Gi could be heard hissing before suddenly the waves of patrons parted and the blonde jumped into Lucy's arms, nearly causing her to topple over at the unexpected weight. "Thank Poseidon, you are back!"

Another cheer rose from the patrons.

Lucy laughed, hugging Gi tightly. "I missed you."

"Of course you did," Gi responded cheekily before kissing her, causing yet another cheer to rise from the patrons who'd been waiting for the kiss.

Lucy smiled through the kiss, amused with just how invested in their relationship the patrons were. And people thought pirates weren't romantics at heart.

Someone cleared their throat.

Lucy pulled away from Gi and glanced around her, eyes widening at who she saw. " _Lois_?"

Lois looked a mixture of confused, happy and unhappy. "Hello Lou."

"Lois!" Lucy hugged her sister tightly as the patrons returned to their seats and their drinks. "What are you doing here?" She frowned, knowing that it could not be a good reason. "What happened? Who is after you?"

Lois sighed. " _Him_."

Somehow Lucy did not need to be told who _'him'_ was. Hadn't she been the one to warn Lois that Cutler was back in the picture? She sighed. "You are safe here, we will give you refuge."

"It is not just _her_ , my love," Gi declared as she wrapped her arms around Lucy's and rested her chin on the brunette's shoulder. "Your father and other sister are here as well."

Lucy's eyes widened. This was worse than she'd imagined.

The door opened behind her.

Lois' eyes widened as it rested on whoever had entered. "Commodore Norrington? _Will_? What are you two doing here? Together?"

Sudden realization hit as Lucy turned to her eldest sister. "We need to talk. In private. _Now_."

* * *

Days passed in the brig with no occurrences whatsoever. Anticipating that Davy Jones would realize his key was missing before she could escape, Chloe had hidden it in her bracelet's hidden compartment the second she was thrown in her cell. And it was a good thing too, because not an hour later she'd been strip-searched by and irate Jones himself.

He'd come into the brig, furious, calling her all sorts of things and demanding the key back. She'd played innocent and confused, but he'd forced her to take her own clothes off and give them to him. The humiliation had _burned_ on her skin as she'd stood before him unlike she had with any other man, eyes defiant as she tried to cover herself from his gaze, but his eyes were not on her nakedness.

No.

They were on her tattoo.

That look of terror in his eyes had grown.

His search of her clothes had been frantic, he'd torn quite a bit of the fabric before realizing the key wasn't on her. He'd then thrown her clothes back at her and begun to search the brig.

When she'd asked him what key he was missing and what it opened he'd merely snapped at her to be quiet while he searched every inch of the brig, only to find nothing. He'd huffed, clearly off-kilter, but to his credit he hadn't looked at her once until she'd gotten the shredded clothes back and put them on.

"Either listen to my proposal, Davy Jones, or let me go," she hissed at him as she leaned against her wall. "I will not be kept trapped in this brig much longer."

He snorted in derision. "And _what_ , pray tell, will you do?"

She glared at him before smiling, the action full of teeth. "What is the fun in telling you in advance?"

He glared, clearly angry with her, but with no obvious reason as to _why_. "That mark upon your skin. How did you get it?"

Placing her hand over her hip, Chloe thought about her answer for a moment before telling him: "It was given to me by a higher power. I am bound by it."

" _Bound_ …" Davy Jones let out a stuttered breath before turning and storming to the cell door, emerging from the brig only to slam the door shut, locked, behind him. He then turned to glare at her through the bars. "I would get comfortable if I were you, ye will nah be leaving this cell any time soon."

Pushing away from the wall, Chloe went to the bars and grabbed at them, shaking them. "If you will not listen to my proposition then _let me go_! There are those who will come for me!"

"Aye, those two young men I saw." One of Davy Jones' tentacles went to her chin and used it to push her face upwards to better face him. "Who be they?"

Chloe gulped, not having expected that question. "People I care about, very much."

He sneered in disgust. "Such a fickle heart."

Snapping, Chloe reached out and grabbed his shirt, growling. "You do not know anything about me!" She then stared at him with wide eyes, shocked. Before her wasn't the tentacled beast - _but the man_. Her chest rose and fell with short, rapid breaths of disbelief. Could he switch between the monster and man… or was _she_ doing this unknowingly?

Davy's face was just as shocked, as if he could _feel_ the change. He glanced down at his hands, his two _human_ hands, and then he lifted them to feel his beard - tentacles no more - and then up to his human face.

Confused and acting on impulse, Chloe let go of him and backed away to the wall, watching him slowly turn into a monster beneath his own hands, one now a crab's claw once more. His face broke down in horror, in agony, in fury and desperation as he let out a loud sound that conveyed all that and more.

Pressing her back up against the wall, Chloe held onto her bracelet-covered wrist and just _stared_ at him. She hadn't just imagined it? Right? He'd been human again. _Right_?

Davy Jones grabbed the bars, shook them violently, and then turned and stormed away.

Lowering herself against the wall to the floor, Chloe let out a deep breath.

She needed to get out of here.

 _Now_.

* * *

Lana returned from her mission, cloak still pulled over her protectively. She tried not to think too hard on what she'd done, or how her family would react. What she was doing was all in an effort to protect her family. So many people were in danger, had been hurt, trying to protect her, and now it was her turn to finally step up and do what must be done. She'd save her family, _no matter what_. Those dreams that terrified her would never come true. She'd make sure of it.

Entering Lucy's home with Giselle, Lana closed the door behind her and froze when the first words she heard were uttered by Lucy, and were: " _So we need to find the Dead Man's Chest for when Chloe arrives with Davy Jones' key_."

* * *

 **TBC**


	13. Last Night In Tortuga

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

Chapter 13/20

* * *

Chloe didn't know how long he'd been trailing them, but one day, while locked in the brig and staring out onto the water, she'd seen a large fin emerge from the water. Sure, it could belong to any shark, but somehow _she knew_. It was Finley. He was there, he was waiting on her to do something now that she had the key.

She had to do her part and escape.

* * *

 ** _She has been positively identified. As expected, your intended found sanctuary amongst the pirate scum who inhabit Tortuga_** , _Mercer's missive plainly stated._ **_I have discovered that her sister is living here, masquerading as a BROTHER. Lucy Swann has not only deceived the whole of Tortuga into believing her a male, but she had also married a former prostitute, with whom she runs a tavern on island and lives a life of vice and godlessness with._**

 ** _The maidens and their father were here with his new "daughter" until Lucy Swann reappeared yesterday. Not only had she been pirating with Jack Sparrow, but she is also in company of Will Turner… and disgustingly enough… former Commodore Norrington. It would appear that he has fallen low and has turned to piracy._**

 ** _I write to inform you, sir, that while I have not completed my mission and brought your intended back to Port Royal, the only reason I have not done this is because I have heard news of most importance. It would appear that Jack Sparrow is in search of the Dead Man's Chest, and is using the compass you spoke of to find it._**

 ** _I know that it is presumptuous of me to pretend to understand the workings of your mind, but I believe that, should you be here, you would tell me to stick to Sparrow, and that is what I am doing. We both know where Miss Swann is, and once the Dead Man's Heart is yours - so will the sea._**

 ** _I will keep you informed as I discover more._**

 ** _Your faithful servant_**

 ** _Ian Mercer_**

 _Crumpling the letter in his hand, Cutler stared at the map of the Caribbean which hung in the Governor's house, which he'd taken over. He smiled, it was a dark, disturbing sight. "You will regret humiliating me, Lois," he promised. "You will be made to understand in the only way we both know will affect you." He smiled. "I will kill your family, starting with that disgusting crossdressing sister of yours."_

Gasping in breath, Lana held her hand to her heart, which beat rapidly in terror. More and more her dreams pointed to danger for Lucy, and while she warned them no one seemed to be taking her seriously. It meant she had to figure something out. She needed to use her dreams - her visions - and find a way to protect her family.

Jack and the others were planning on leaving tomorrow with first tide, and while Lana had planned on staying with father here in Tortuga she realized in growing horror that she had to go along.

 _'Stay on land, dere is still time'_ the woman's warning from so long ago rung in her ear.

 _I do not have a choice_ , Lana hiccuped in fear as tears filled her eyes. _I have to go._

* * *

"I do not want you to go." Gi's voice betrayed her presence as the blonde moved silently on the roof and came to sit down next to Lucy. She gazed up at the sky, just like the brunette was. "You know I like Chloe, she is probably the only one of your sisters who I take to, but I feel something hard in my chest." Her gaze finally turned to Lucy. "Do not go."

Turning to look at her partner in crime, the person who'd become her confidant and best friend during her period of independence, Lucy sighed. "I have to go. Chloe needs us to recover the Dead Man's Chest and have it ready for when she finds her way to us."

"How can you even know she will make it out of this alive?" Gi wanted to know. "Lou, she might be dead. Davy Jones is a cruel monster."

"She is alive, Gi," Lucy promised her. "If everything we have gone through these last couple of years show me anything it is that my sister is a survivor."

Gi reached out and gripped Lucy's hand. "I _beg_ of you: Do not go."

Emotion clogged in Lucy's throat, but she pushed it aside, trying to comfort the blonde despite her own nerves. "I will return, Gi." She tried for a smile. "If anything, I need to survive to make sure you and Scarlett do not run this place into the ground."

"Do not joke at a time like this!" Gi snapped, eyes flashing in anger. "I am serious!"

Realizing just how worried Gi was, Lucy shifted their held-hands so that hers now held Gi's, and she squeezed that hand. "I apologize. But Gi, I am going. There is nothing you can say that will make me stay behind."

Gi searched her face in desperation before she growled and looked away, a muscle ticking in her cheek. " _Fine_." She took in a deep breath. "Then I will come too."

Lucy's eyes widened. "No you are not!"

"Yes, I am." Gi glared at her. "I will not stay behind. If you do not want me to go, then you will stay. Otherwise shut your mouth. We are shutting down the Captain's Bride until we _both_ come back safe and sound, and that's final."

Lucy's parted lips closed and she cleared her lips, able to see the danger in Gi's eyes and knowing better than to argue with her when she was in this mood. Still, she couldn't stop herself from whispering: "It could be very dangerous."

"Why do you think I am coming along?" Gi huffed. "Everyone is worrying about Chloe and her safety, and while that is good, you need someone to worry about you and yours." She raised her chin. "That person will be _me_."

Lucy's throat clogged with emotion and she only managed a smile at her favorite person in the whole wide world. Unable to verbally express the emotions inside her, she merely leaned her head against Gi's shoulder and smiled.

* * *

Other than Maccus and Davy Jones, the only other crewman onboard the Flying Ducthman that Chloe came in contact with while locked up was Koleniko. The right side of his face, left shoulder, and arm were fused with the spines of a pufferfish. They inflated and deflated with his breathing. He was usually the one who brought her food and usually had an insult to give her with each meal. Like Gibbs before him the thought of having a female on board didn't sit well with Koleniko, and he hissed at her many times that her presence was bad luck.

Also, apparently, since she'd been taken captive Davy Jones had been in an eternally foul mood, and Koleniko blamed her. So when he arrived that eve empty-handed, and instead unlocked the brig, Chloe stood and eyed him warily.

"The captain will be dining with you tonight," he hissed, almost as if in accusation.

Taking in a deep breath, Chloe nodded and stepped forwards. While the last thing she wanted was to have dinner with Davy Jones this was the best chance of escape that she had been given, and she'd take it.

* * *

"You seem to be deep in thought, luv."

Turning her back on the window, Lois blushed, wondering just how long Jack had been there. Had he watched her listening in to Giselle and Lucy's conversation? She honestly hoped not because being an eavesdrop wasn't the finest of qualities, but Lois had needed to hear that conversation. If she hadn't she would've still been eyeing Giselle with what she knew was thinly veiled contempt.

Lois remembered the Giselle she'd met while searching for Chloe, and to be honest when she discovered that Lucy had married the blonde to help keep up her charade of being a male she'd been incensed. Not so much at the charade itself, but at the fact that she knew that the prostitute was using Lucy. Not only would Giselle not have to walk the streets anymore, but she'd be owner (through marriage) of a well-to-do establishment. To be honest, Lois had been terrified they'd learn Lucy had been stabbed to death in her sleep, and she would've known it was Giselle, who'd be aiming for sole ownership.

And yet…

Lois glanced back at the open window.

Giselle _cared_ about Lucy. It was more than obvious. This wasn't just a show to help Lucy, Giselle genuinely cared for Lucy and her well-being. She was willing to put them out of business to make sure Lucy came back safe and sound.

It was at that very moment that Lois accepted Giselle as her sister-in-law. Now she realized she would not have to always worry about Lucy being here alone with villains and cut-throats, because Lucy _wasn't_ alone.

The thought made her smile.

"Ah, yes, my presence _is_ smile-worthy, I know," Jack declared as he moved closer while eyeing around them suspiciously. "Where be your spiffy father?"

This was the first time she'd been alone with Jack since she'd learnt what she had from Cutler, and Lois wasn't exactly sure how to feel or react. She'd thought Jack regrettably charming before but he'd still been a scoundrel pirate. Now though? She had stories from a man who hated Jack's very existence, stories which made Jack out to be so much more than she could've ever suspected. Somewhere, buried deep under Jack's cocky, drunken exterior, beat a heart of gold. The gold was probably stolen, of course, but it was still gold nonetheless. It made him harder to dismiss, and she didn't know how to handle that revelation.

"You are a good man, Jack Sparrow," were her first words to him since he'd arrived in Tortuga with her sister.

Jack's eyes widened as he brought a hand to his heart. "What have I ever done to deserve such slander?"

She merely smiled at that. Unlike Cutler, who bragged about any accomplishment, Jack shied away from his like the plague. "Where's the rum? I know you have some on you."

He eyed her warily. " _Why_?"

For a moment she didn't get his reaction, and then she laughed. "I am not about to _burn_ it, Jack Sparrow! Do I _look_ like I need rescuing from a deserted island?"

Jack continued to eye her warily before he finally reached into some pocket or the other and pulled out a bottle of rum, which he handed to her. "You will want to go easy on it, this is—."

Lois uncorked the bottle and threw her head back, downing gulp after gulp of the burning liquid.

Jack's mouth fell open as he watched her.

Finally lowering the bottle, Lois wiped the back of her hand against her lips and coughed as she passed the bottle back to him. "It has a nice burn."

Jack continued to eye her in utter shock before he shook his head and cleared his throat, taking a swig from the bottle as well.

* * *

This was a trap somehow. Chloe didn't know what exactly Davy Jones was planning, but she knew there was something going on. It was in the odd way he held himself, in the way he watched her carefully. A part of her thought maybe the food was poisoned but they'd served themselves from a common dish so that couldn't be it. She remembered being in a similar position with Barbossa once upon a time, and the fact that her life seemed to have so many parallels made her shake her head.

"Can you make it permanent?" Davy Jones finally broke the silence, drawing her attention to him. "Can you make me how I used to be?"

"Maybe," she responded softly. "I do not know precisely the extent of my abilities." She picked up an apple and looked at it. "I am still very new at them, you see."

He sat there, his hands (both human and crab) clutching the edge of the table. Davy Jones breathed in, breathed out, and then raised his chin as his eyes bore into her with the intensity of sharpened knives. "I _did_ hear about you, you were right, but to be honest I did not believe what I heard."

"And why is that?" She wanted to know curiously.

"Because," he leaned forwards, "you are the daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann."

"My father is good man!" Chloe cried, insulted on his bath.

"He may be, that is yet to be seen," Davy Jones replied as he sat back down and reached for his pipe and lighter. "But he is not _great_." He lit the pipe and huffed out a ring of smoke before once more returning his attention to her. "Why would his daughter have any sort of power?"

She hesitated, gaze on the ring of smoke as it rose, before her gaze returned to find his on her. "Because he is not my father, not biologically."

Davy froze, muscles tensed. "You do not say."

"Yes, I _do_ say." She felt like she was betraying her father, but couldn't stop herself from speaking. "I am not originally from this world."

Davy's grip on the pipe loosened before he tightened it once more. "You do not say."

Frowning at his repetition, Chloe cleared her throat. "I do not really remember the events clearly, just flashes of a horrible storm in the sky and rocks falls all around me…" she shivered at the memory. "I was brought here, with my sisters, as children. Our father found us and raised us as his own. He is a good man and a kind, loving father." She took in a deep breath as she pushed the food around on her plate with her fork. "I was born with the ability to self-heal but did not know about it until after Barbossa and her crew took me." Her gaze met Davy Jones' steadfast one. "That was when I discovered many a thing I did not know."

He almost looked afraid, his voice softer yet accent deeper when he asked: "Such as?"

Instead of answering, Chloe glanced down at her cuff bracelet. "What happened to you, Davy Jones?" She peered back at him in genuine confusion. "Why are you and your crew the way you are?" She licked her lips. "Why has Calypso done nothing to help?" She hesitated a beat. "You two were so in love… I cannot understand how she would let you remain this way."

Davy Jones rose to his feet with terrifying force. He turned his back on her and stormed to gaze out of the window at the water below. "Calypso knew not love but for _herself_."

"That's not true." Chloe stood as well. "I have seen you two together on multiple occasions. You were in love with each other."

"I was a _fool_!" He snarled as he turned towards her, stalking towards her furiously, eyes wild. "Her heart was fickle, like the sea! As the tide rolled out, so did her so-called _love_." He sneered down hatefully at Chloe. "I learnt my lesson. Love is a weakness. It is the foolish notions of a young _child_." His eyes narrowed as he leaned into her. "I feel _nothing_ , not for _her_ , not for _anything_."

Chloe's heart was racing in fear, so when her voice came out strong she congratulated herself in shock. "Then why are you so angry?"

His mouth opened and closed before he snarled and blew a lungful of smoke from his pipe into her face.

* * *

Unable to sleep, James made his way to the small dock behind the Captain's Bride and sat on the dock, his legs dangling in the dark water below as he stared into the dark horizon. They set sail for the compass' bearing tomorrow morning, but it wasn't soon enough in his books. The quicker they could get the Dead Man's Chest, the sooner Chloe would be back safely, or at least he had to force himself to believe that.

No matter what he'd said before, no matter that he'd sided with (god save him) Jack Sparrow, James had wanted nothing more than to join Will and force them to use the compass to go after Chloe. He still hadn't forgiven her for leaving the way she had, especially given where she was going, but he understood that she had a mission. While she was indentured to The Voice then her life, her decisions, would never truly be her own, they'd be driven by someone else's desire, and he was man enough to understand that. It didn't make it easy, though.

Leaning his head against the post, James took in a deep breath of salt air. He wished they were back home. The thought made him pause and chuckle because that was what the island was, home. When had that happened? He even missed conversing with Seamus, and that was hilarious in its own.

An image flashed before his eyes. It was of Chloe wearing dirty, stained clothes. Her hair was tied back and held in place with a cloth, and her face was smudged with dirt, but her smile was wide. She cleaned the windows and criticized his sweeping abilities, while he informed her curtly that he was an ex commodore and that meant that he could master such a commoner task as sweeping thank-you-very-much.

"Protect her," he ordered the sea as he pressed his head back hard against the post. "She is peril because of what are no doubt _your_ orders."

There was no answer to his demands, but he hadn't quite expected any. Still, he reached into his shirt and pulled out the gift Tia Dalma had given him on the sly back in her tree-top home.

…

 _Will never stopped watching Chloe. James noticed because he watched her as well, but he knew that anyone with two eyes could tell the boy had feelings for the blonde. He wondered if Will had always been this obvious but James had been oblivious to it. The Will Turner before Chloe's first kidnapping was a quiet, reserved young man who was conscious of his position in life and never did anything to make himself noticeable or memorable. That Will would've never dreamed to watch Chloe with such open want and longing in his eyes._

 _James wondered if he too had changed that much. Did he wear his emotions on his face as well now, or were they as guarded as they'd always been?_

 _"You know who I am," Tia Dalma's voice spoke from behind him, causing him to turn his back on Will and Chloe, who were conversing with Lucy about something or the other._

 _James turned towards the woman he was more than sure was The Voice due to Chloe's reaction to her. "Yes."_

 _"Den you know she is special to me, important." Tia Dalma motioned towards Chloe, a fond smile on her face. "She 'as a touch of_ ** _destiny_** _to 'er, but so do others in dis room tonight." She reached out and trailed a finger down the side of his cheek. "Even you, James Ezekiel Norrington."_

 _He didn't back down, wouldn't. "How can I help her?"_

 _Her lips twitched for a second, as if amused by his question. "What do ya want? What can I offer you dat you do not already have, or cannot accomplish on yer own by yer own merit?"_

 _"Her freedom," he responded quickly. "You can give her her freedom."_

 _Tia Dalma's brown eyes widened and she tilted her head to the side. "You would trade someting precious wid me for 'er freedom when she is already earnin' it fah 'erself?" She leaned in closer. "Do you nah tink it is a waste of an offer?"_

 _"No." James shook his head. "It is not."_

 _Tia Dalma observed him quietly. "You love her."_

 _Gulping, James' gaze found Chloe as she smiled at her sister, before he returned his attention to the obeah priestess. "I always have."_

 _"An yet you let 'im take her." She motioned towards Will. "How strong can yer love truly be?"_

 _He flinched. That was true. He'd been a coward for so long and had hurt Chloe so horribly. Just remembering her confession on that beach still tore at him. He'd acted so selfishly, so cowardly, and in the end he'd ended up hurting not only himself, but Lana and Chloe as well. James didn't think he'd ever forgive himself for that, or for how passively he'd reacted to Chloe's news of her courtship with Will. On the eve of his departure from Port Royal he'd gone to her house to tell her his feelings despite everything, and yet even then he'd taken the coward's way out. He hadn't wanted to lose her friendship, not when he had already lost everything else._

 _"I want her freedom," James whispered. "Even if she uses it to be with him, I still want her free."_

 _Tia Dalma stared at him in silence before a surprisingly tender expression appeared on her face. She reached up and clasped his jaw. "You remind me of someone I used to know." Her voice was thicker, lower, before she cleared it and took in a deep breath. "I cannot barter 'er freedom wid you, dat is_ ** _'er_** _barter." She raised an eyebrow. "If dat is yer only desire, den we cannot 'ave a deal."_

 _He knew she was playing with him, and yet—. "I want to have the ability to help her, then. If I cannot give her her freedom, I want to be able to help her attain it herself."_

 _Tia Dalma once more just stared at him, and then she smiled and nodded. "And what would you give me for dis?"_

 _"What would you ask in return?" He asked instead._

 _Tia Dalma grinned a toothy grin. "Dis be no small ting ye desire. Its cost might be too great."_

 _James closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as he readied himself. "Name it."_

 _Licking her lips, Tia Dalma stepped closer. "In return for giving you what you need ta help free 'er from 'er debt to me…" She lowered her voice yet it was still strong, clearly audible. "…dere can only be_ ** _one_** _price for dat."_

…

Staring at the intricate, clearly ancient yet magnificently preserved medallion, James sighed as he stared at the dolphin engraved on the front. He didn't know what it meant or what it did or how it would help him in his mission to free Chloe from her debt, but he'd bartered for it for a very price, so he kept it on its accompany chain, which was long enough for the medallion to rest by his heart.

Closing his fingers over the medallion, James peered back towards the sea.

The price didn't matter, it wouldn't, not as long as Chloe was able to live a long, happy life in freedom.

* * *

 **TBC**


	14. Escaping Davy Jones

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

14/20

* * *

Coughing, Chloe pulled away and went to the window, throwing it open to gasp in clean gulps of sea air. The sight of fins made her contemplate just jumping out of the window, but Davy Jones was right there. She wasn't sure she'd be able to climb out of the window before he'd catch her, so instead of doing what her instincts told her to, Chloe turned her back on the window, her hands behind her, gripping the frame tightly.

"What would _you_ know about _love_?" Davy Jones taunted her. "I saw into your mind, two faces reside there."

She gulped and leaned harder against the wall.

"You are not going to deny it?" Davy Jones smirked as if he'd won a terrible victory. "What a fickle heart you have."

"My emotions are not _fickle_ ," she hissed. If they were then she wouldn't have the utter terror she did right now concerning both James and Will's feelings. She'd loved them both once upon a time, and maybe she'd never stopped loving either, not completely, but she'd convinced herself that her feelings needed to be ignored and would not be reciprocated - only for both men to confess to her. It was probably why she'd jumped at the opportunity to put some distance between her and them, even if it meant finding herself in the belly of the beast.

"And what, pray tell, are they, then?" He taunted, back to her.

"Complicated." She kept from flinching when he turned towards her. "I grew up loving James, adoring him. He was everything to me for many years, but I believed he loved my sister so I forced myself not to love him so I could still have him in my life and it not hurt every time I looked at him or saw him with my sister." She bit her bottom lip and reached for her pendant, clasping it tightly. "During that time I became closer to Will and fell in love with him. Madly in love with him. But then he broke things off between us, I did not know that at the time he did so because my father asked him to. Like with James, I forced myself to close my heart to him and lock away my feelings." She took in a stuttered breath. "I have come back into contact with them recently and they both confessed their true feelings for me… and I realize now that I might not have been successful in quelling my past feelings for either of them." She raised her chin defiantly. "So my emotions are not _fickle_ , they are _complicated_."

"And what would you do if I gave you a choice?" Davy Jones asked in an odd tone. "What if I told you I would kill and claim one for this ship for all eternity - and I give you the choice of which?" He moved closer, smile almost infernal. "Who would you sacrifice?"

"Myself." There was no hesitation, no question.

Davy Jones visibly faltered. "I beg your pardon?"

She wouldn't sacrifice either for herself, she wouldn't sacrifice anyone for herself. It wasn't in her nature to do so, and she was sickened at the very thought. Given a choice to decide someone's fate that like she couldn't, wouldn't, choose anyone else. "If I have the choice, then I choose myself, not them, not anyone else."

Fury spread over his face, strengthening with each rapid, labored breath. "I never took you for a weak, sentimental fool."

She stared him in his fishy face. "If I help you maintain your human form I want you to call off the Kraken from Jack's pursuit, and I also want your word that my loved ones will be safe from you and your minions."

Davy Jones leaned in, annunciating each word with dripping disdain. "I do not make deals with sea spirits."

She blinked, caught off guard by his choice of words. "I am not—."

In seconds his crab claw had her by the neck, squeezing her angrily and cutting off her flow of oxygen. "Pick, now! Which do I kill and which do I spare?"

She fought but he was much too strong.

"Choose!" He loosened his grip enough to let a little air, and some sound, back to her. "Give me a name!"

Shaking her head, Chloe closed her eyes tightly. It didn't matter in the end if she died, it might actually be an end of her servitude to Tia Dalma. This death wasn't like the others she'd suffered through, Davy Jones - the mythical master of the sea who had so much power… it wasn't unreasonable to believe that death by such a person could negate any ability she had at resurrection. He could send her soul down to the locker, and if such, then she could not see any reason or way as to how she could come back.

Davy Jones raised her body off of the ground by her neck, slamming her back against the window, the blow forcing the window open violently and her eyes to fly open as well. "I will accept your proposition, you can keep your life - and your loved ones will be safe from me and mine - but you _must_ choose one of them to forever serve this vessel." His eyes were wild, his tone deepening, his grip tightening. "Choose someone! _Choose_! Save yourself!"

Shaking her head once more, Chloe could see a feral desperation darkening his face.

"I _will_ break your neck," he snarled in promise. "If you do not choose to save one, I will kill _them both_."

Panic raced through her soul as she stopped fighting and hung there, gripping his claw.

He smiled, at it was a terrible sight. "Good, you see your position." He tilted his head, tentacles flicking around. "Now tell me, little spirit, who will I have the pleasure of welcoming aboard the Flying Dutchman for all eternity? _James_ or _Will_?"

* * *

James stumbled to his feet and took a step towards the edge of the dock. His grip tightened on the medallion in reaction to the storm brewing inside of him. Just like the night in which he'd had to fish Chloe out of the lagoon, a sudden, overwhelming and inexplicable sense of dread clasped its icy fingers around his heart and was squeezing so hard he felt like she couldn't breathe.

 _Chloe_.

Something was wrong with her, she was in danger.

 _I was wrong_. _Will was right. We should have gone for her right away!_ He hated himself at that moment more than ever. _If she dies because I did nothing I will—_!

"What is it?" A surprising voice asked behind him.

He didn't want to see Will Turner, not when he was being proven right once more when it came to Chloe and her safety. That was why he kept his back to Will, his gaze on the dark horizon. "She is in danger at this very moment."

"How would you know?" Will asked oddly.

"I do not know the why or the how," James admitted softly. "It has happened once before, I only barely made it to her in time."

Will was silent for a long moment before he joined James at his side. "You do not understand the magnitude with which I resent you."

James chuckled darkly and sidled a glance in Will's direction to find him staring out at the vast expanse as well. "Or I you." Silence befell them as they both stared out into the water, but James felt the sensation growing and growing in his chest, leaving him breathless. "I harbor ill feelings towards you, Will Turner, and I know that you feel likewise."

"Oh, I do," Will agreed without any hesitation.

"But I believe we need to work together if we wish to help Chloe," James continued after a moment's silence. "We cannot help her if we are too busy arguing, or trying to one-up or sabotage the other. Do you agree?"

There was a moment's silence, and then Will nodded. "I agree."

Taking in a deep breath, James Norrington turned to William Turner and held out his hand. "I call a cessation on any personal issues we have with each other."

Will eyed the hand with a raised eyebrow. "The moment the danger is passed, though, I am winning her back."

"You can most definitely _try_ ," James agreed, hand still outstretched.

Shaking his head, Will placed his hand in James' and shook it seconds before pain rattled through their brains as images raced in front of them.

…

 _A monster, half human half squid, raised Chloe's body off of the ground by her neck, slamming her back against the window, the blow forcing the window open violently and her eyes to fly open as well. "I will accept your proposition, you can keep your life - and your loved ones will be safe from me and mine - but you must choose one of them to forever serve this vessel." His eyes were wild, his tone deepening, his grip tightening. "Choose someone! Choose! Save yourself!"_

 _Chloe shook her head viciously._

 _"I will break your neck," he snarled in promise. "If you do not choose to save one, I will kill them both."_

 _Chloe stopped fighting immediately, panic in her eyes as she hung there, gripping his claw._

 _He smiled, it was a terrible sight. "Good, you see your position." He tilted his head, tentacles flicking around. "Now tell me, little spirit, who will I have the pleasure of welcoming aboard the Flying Dutchman for all eternity? James or Will?"_

 _She stared into his face, clearly thinking. Chloe opened her mouth and tried to get out a word but couldn't, the grip on her throat making it impossible._

 _The monster seemed to realize this, because he let go of her and let her fall to the floor roughly. "I did nah catch the name."_

 _Glaring up at him, Chloe gulped in air as she stumbled to her feet. "I_ ** _said_** _I see now why Calypso must have stopped loving you, as well as why you now look the way you do." She held her chin up defiantly. "You look like a monster, Davy Jones, because that is exactly what you are. And who could ever love a monster?"_

 _Davy Jones stood there, almost in shocked trauma, before he let out a deafening roar and backhanded Chloe so hard she slid backwards into the wall and tumbled backwards and over the window, falling out into the sea below. The monster raced to the window and gripped at the frame, staring at the vast, dark ocean, and yet even in the dark he could tell that she had not surfaced. "MACCUS!" He stormed to the door and flung it open, yelling: "SHE HAS ESCAPED! BRING HER BACK TO ME!"_

…

Will and James yanked their hands away from each other and gasped, staring at each other in horror.

Will was the first to react, his eyes wide, his breathing erratic. "She will drown! Or worse!"

"No." James shook his head and turned towards the Captain's Bride. "She is in the water, she will be safe."

"How can you say that?" Will snapped as he hurried after him. "You saw what I did! It was deep water with no land visible outside that window! She will not make it! If some sea-life does not consume her, Davy Jones will take her back, or she will drown!"

"No." James continued forwards. "She will be chased, but now she has an advantage."

Will grabbed James' arm and flung him around to face him. "What do you know that I do not? How can you be so sure? So calm?"

"I cannot go into specifics, it could jeopardize her," James admitted. "But know this, the sea is her ally."

Confusion clouded Will's face. "Is this the same Chloe Swann we are speaking of? The one who has been kidnapped, on _multiple_ occasions, by creatures closely associated with the _sea_?"

"Yes, it is," James assured him before he yanked his arm free and twirled back around, intent on his mission.

"Where are you _going_?" Will fell in line.

"To wake up the others," James replied as he walked with purpose. "We need to leave, _now_."

* * *

Waist deep in the waters surrounding her tree-top home, Tia Dalma held her palms face-down in the waters. She'd barely left the water the last couple of days, watching as the Black Pearl left Tortuga with quite a couple of people on board whom Jack Sparrow was not happy with being there, chief amongst them being Giselle (whom Jack was still somewhat scared of) and Governor Swann. For Jack it was hard enough to have James Norrington aboard the Black Pearl, but adding Weatherby Swann made Jack feel somewhat like he was back in the employment of Cutler Beckett. Of course, Weatherby did not have the dark heart that Cutler Beckett did, but Weatherby _did_ share in some of his more pompous characteristics.

Weatherby's presence wasn't only a problem because of that, but because Jack obviously wanted to fornicate with the man's daughter, and Weatherby not only realized his intentions, but actively made himself an obstacle.

If the situation wasn't so frustrating, Tia would be amused. But she wasn't. No. Because all she could do was watch. So much was happening around her, so many things that were out of her control, it was why she'd needed Chloe in the first place. The fact that she'd fallen this low, that she was physically bound to this island and needed to recruit outside forces, angered her every time she remembered, but this was life, and she was never one to wallow in self-pity.

This hadn't been her first plan, her first try. Countless times before this she'd tried for options, items, that could help her on her quest, but never had her proteges been as promising, or gotten as far, as Chloe Sullivan had. Maybe it was due to the fact that the girl was not human. Tia had wondered whether Davy Jones would be able to tell the truth about the girl, and while Tia's sight was incredibly limited when it came to him and the Flying Dutchman she'd used up a lot of her strength to see snippets and know that even if he did not know the truth about the girl he enjoyed torturing, he suspected enough not to kill her.

That did not mean that he had gone easy on her. Tia had felt the connection between her and Chloe activate enough to know that he'd hurt the girl, and considering this was the third day of her trying to contact the blonde with no response, Davy Jones had hurt Chloe enough to knock her unconscious for this long.

Tia found herself worrying, and whispered to those on the Black Pearl to hurry.

* * *

"Such _barbaric_ living situations are beneath us," father muttered under his breath as he rubbed his back for the hundredth time that day. Despite the fact that they had been on the Pearl for neigh a week now he had yet to get used to sleeping in the hammocks in the common room with the other sailors. He had eyed Jack's room, harrumphed about being the Governor and being treated as such, and had then been completely scandalized when Jack had snorted and slammed the door in his face.

"Jack has gone over the navigational charts and believes that the compass is leading Lucy to Isla Cruces," Lois announced as she leaned against the railing, enjoying the sea breeze on her face as she watched Lucy by the ship's mast with Giselle by her side. The compass was in Lucy's hand, and she was staring down at it as she spoke to the blonde, whose curls were dancing on the wind.

"Isla Cruces?" Lana asked softly from her side. "Why do I feel as if I have heard that name before?"

"I do believe it sounds familiar as well," father muttered to himself as he fought desperately to keep his extravagant hat on despite the wind's valiant attempt to yank it off.

"Stories of Isla Cruces are very well known," Will's voice brought their attention to him, to find him approaching with James. Those two had apparently struck some sort of alliance between them for the time being, and Lois wondered exactly how long it would last once they found Chloe once more. "The Church went to the island and brought 'salvation'… as well as disease and death. They say the priest had to bury everybody, one after the other. It drove him mad, and he hung himself."

"It makes sense that Davy Jones would choose that location to hide the Dead Man's Chest," James added. "Isla Cruces was known as a plague island and was deserted. All sane travelers would have avoided it."

Father went pale. "Is it unsafe to venture there, then?"

"Do not worry, Governor, you will remain safely aboard the ship," James assured him quickly. "Only a small group will venture onto the island."

"Who will make up this small group?" Lana frowned as she stepped away from the railing to move closer to them. "Surely not _yourselves_." She must've seen the same thing Lois did on their faces because she scowled. "You should allow the pirates to take the risk, not yourselves."

"I _am_ a pirate, Miss Lana," Will said with a little more force than he needed to.

Lana drew back, obviously having forgotten that point. She watched Will as he turned and walked away, her expression sad and self-scolding.

James eyed Will's retreating form before his gaze turned to Lana. "Do not worry about us, Miss Lana, we will be safe."

She smiled weakly at him.

* * *

Angering Davy Jones into knocking her into the water had definitely been the plan, but blacking out from the pain and the blow had not. Chloe had seen a large figure in the water coming closer and closer, so before she blacked out she knew Finley had to be on the way, but everything after that was a mystery.

All she knew was that when she awoke she was washed up on a beach. Finley was no where in sight. That would've have worried her too much if it wasn't for the fact that she realized she was covered in scratches and bruises that definitely hadn't been given to her by Davy Jones. There must've been some sort of fight, or attack, and she worried about Finley. Had he made it out okay?

Stumbling to her feet, Chloe felt a stabbing pain pierce her. It was thirst and hunger, but not an appropriate amount if only hours had passed since she'd been knocked out. No. She felt parched, her throat on fire, as if she hadn't drunk water for days. Her stomach growled, loudly, cramping in pain as she made her way away from the beach towards the island itself. It didn't look inhabited, at least not this section of it. Her first couple of steps had hurt her, a lot, and when she looked down it was to see her legs and feet covered in more scratches. The bottom of her feet were particularly bad.

Just what had happened?

Limping through the sand towards the jungle visible behind her, Chloe tried to figure out why this island seemed so similar. She knew she'd seen it before but couldn't quite place where she might've seen it, or possibly visited, it before.

 _It is not important right now_ , she told herself as she forced herself on despite the pain. _Get to the jungle. If there are trees there is fresh water_. A part of her told her to just drink the sea water, but she rejected the idea immediately. Everyone knew not to drink seawater. No. She needed freshwater and she'd find it in the jungle.

There were, of course, other things that might be found in the jungle but she pressed on.

It took a while, but when she finally found a river with running fresh water she collapsed into it, drinking her fill as she washed the saltwater off of her. Drinking like she hadn't had a sip of water in years, Chloe only stopped once her stomach began to complain. She then rested in the water, floated happily until the sounds of the jungle brought her attention back to the present.

There was no time to lose. She needed to figure out where she was and how to get to the others. Chloe had assumed Finley would take her to the Black Pearl, but since he hadn't she had to wonder if maybe the sea wasn't safe for her anymore. What if Finley had had to drop her off at the closest island because Davy Jones and his men were catching up too quickly? It would be easier for her to hide from them on land.

 _Be safe, Finley_.

Chloe clutched the crystal swan around her neck and took in a deep breath. She was about to emerge from the water when the sound of giggles caught her attention. Spinning around in the water, Chloe watched as the bushes shook with the quick yet silent approach.

A giggle escaped the rustling bushes as a female emerged from it, a smile on her face as she glanced over her shoulder. Whatever she saw behind her caused her to laugh and run harder, but not fast enough to actually be genuinely trying to outrun someone. A male quickly broke through the foliage, a large playful smile on his face as he chased after the woman.

Chloe watched them go, eyes wide in shock. She pinched herself and then cried out when the pain registered. This wasn't a dream. It wasn't a vision, she was still completely cognizant. So what…?

Scrambling out of the water, Chloe grabbed her shoes and hurried after a young, human Davy Jones, and the goddess Calypso.

* * *

 **TBC**


	15. Davy Jones' Heart

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

 **15/20**

* * *

Chloe followed after the… manifestations?… in intrigue. She had no idea what was happening, or how it was happening. She wasn't asleep. She wasn't having a vision. She was awake, she was cognizant, and yet she was seeing the past of the goddess Calypso and a young, human Davy Jones as if it was happening right in front of her. It actually _was_ happening right in front of her.

Davy caught the goddess and they tumbled onto the sand with shrieks and laughter. The duo was so happy, so in love, as they wrestled on the sand until Calypso sat straddling Davy Jones, laughing down at him.

Looking completely different form his miserable, monstrous self, Davy reached up and cupped her face. "My love."

"My love," Calypso whispered back as she leaned down and kissed him.

"Excuse me? Can either of you explain to me what exactly is going on?" Chloe finally spoke up, testing a theory, and when the couple did not react to her voice she knew for a fact that she wasn't somehow actually _seeing_ them. What was this? An intense, _interactive_ memory, perhaps? But if so, whose?

Calypso giggled as she sat up once more, and suddenly the one she straddled was not Davy Jones, but Will Turner.

Chloe's eyed widened as Calypso kissed Will, her hair creating a barrier between them and Chloe, shielding his face from view. And then, when she pulled away, Will was no longer there, and instead it was James. "What?" Chloe looked towards Calypso to see herself instead. "W- _what_?" Taking a step back, Chloe watched herself kissing James, but James and Will began to quickly interchange rapidly. Every time she blinked it was someone else whom she was kissing. "ENOUGH!"

Suddenly the image disappeared and she stood alone on the beach, staring at the place where she'd seen herself kissing James and Will.

The sound of singing caused her to swing around. She recognized the voice and quickly raced through the sand towards it. As she drew nearer she found herself on the shore where she'd awoken. Calypso stood waist-deep in the crystalline water, singing as she caressed one of many dolphins who played in the water around her.

Seated on the beach was Davy Jones. He watched Calypso in open awe, a smile on his face as he rested his elbows on his bent knees.

Taking in a deep breath, Chloe made her way to Davy Jones and sat down next to him on the humid sand. She reached her hand out and rested it on his shoulder, shocked when it didn't phase through him, and yet Davy didn't seem to feel her touch. This confused her even more. Just what was going on? What was this and why was she seeing it?

The sky began to darken too fast to be natural. She stared up at the sky, watching the sun being chased away by the moon as stars twinkled all around her. It seemed as if in a few seconds day had turned to night.

Turning towards Davy, wondering if he found it just as weird as she did, Chloe found herself seated there alone. Her gaze went to the sea to search for Calypso and found her there, but instead of finding her with the dolphins she was deeper in the water, and with Davy. The moonlight bathed on them as their bodies intertwined, her arms around his neck, his around her waist, and their lips moving fiercely against each other.

A dark blush crawled up Chloe's neck as she watched what could only be Calypso and Davy partaking in passion, surrounded by nothing but the sea and bathed in pure silver moonlight. Watching them Chloe could see just how in love these two had been, so what had happened? What could've parted them? What could've turned Davy Jones from the adoring man that he had once been into the monster that he was now?

* * *

" _Lucy_!" Lana gasped as she awoke, jolting up on the hammock. Her face and body were drenched in sweat, causing her hair and clothes to stick to her body uncomfortably. A hand to her rapidly beating heart, Lana searched the hammocks to find Lucy sleeping on the larger one she shared with Giselle, both soundly asleep, as were everyone else in the crew's quarters.

Relief speared her to see her sister there, alive, but it wasn't enough to push back the nausea and terror that had taken residence in Lana's body during that horrible _horrible_ nightmare. Every time she closed her eyes she saw it, saw the life draining from her little sister's eyes, and this time Lana would do everything in her power to keep her sister safe. She hadn't been insistent or active enough when she'd sensed Chloe's danger, and look what had happened there! Lucy did _not_ have the healing ability Chloe did. If Lucy died…

Terror was overwhelming as it bubbled inside of her body, making Lana feel suddenly suffocated. Managing to make it out of the hammock without falling on her face, she grabbed a shawl, passed her snoring father, and hurried towards the upper deck. The first breath of sea air was like heaven and she stayed there, breathing it in almost desperately as she clung to the railing of the Black Pearl.

Taking in breath after breath, Lana's eyes narrowed on the black sea. She didn't know where this ability to see atrocities that could befall her beloved ones had come from, but she saw these terrible things for a reason.

She was going to save Lucy's life, no matter _what_.

* * *

Calypso and Davy Jones walked side by side, hand in hand, shoulder pressing against shoulder. They smiled up at each other, their attention only on each other, never seeming to notice anything else around them.

Chloe trailed behind them, more curious and confused with each new scene that she saw. Where exactly was she? Why was she seeing this? Was she truly awake? Hours of this had started to waver her confidence that she was. What if she only thought she was? What if that blow from Davy Jones had done more damage than she'd expected? What if she was dreaming this while being taking away by Finley?

She glanced upwards and stared at the sunny sky. It felt like a real sun, as did the breeze, it felt… breezy. Everything down to the feel of the sand beneath her feet was too realistic to be just a dream… right?

 _I am going insane. This could be hell_.

Chloe then froze as a chilling thought hit her. What if Finley hadn't gotten away with her? What if Davy Jones had caught her? What if she was in _The Locker_? What if this was what she had to look forwards to for all eternity?

 _No!_

Glancing back towards Davy Jones and Calypso she found them them seated over the same bit of sand that they'd been on when they'd turned into her, James and Will. She knew this for a fact not only because of the boulder not that far from the sand at the entrance of the jungle, but because this seemed to be a special place for Calypso and Davy Jones. They were able to enjoy the shade from the near jungle without entering it, leaning against the boulder as they sat down and spoke or did whatever they were doing at the time.

Chloe had followed the lovebirds for what might've been two days by now, but she couldn't be sure. Time was wonky when one minute she was in the nighttime watching Davy and Calypso, and within the blink of an eye it was the middle of the day and they were in a different part of the island.

The only thing good about this was that she'd explored the island alongside two people who seemed to know it inside and out. Thanks to following their footsteps she knew that a village had once stood tall here, but the buildings were long since abandoned. There was also a church which was half rotted away, a cave with access to the ocean that Davy and Calypso slept in, and a grove of fruit bearing trees near the river. But despite going all around the island, Calypso and Davy Jones always returned her.

Now, Calypso sat with her back against the boulder, Davy's head on her lap as she watched the crabs with a smile. The crabs were everywhere, congregating, slowly forming a sign with their bodies over a patch of sand by Calypso's feet.

It was a large heart.

"X marks the spot," Calypso whispered as she marked an X over Davy's chest with her finger. "Here lies your heart."

"It is not my heart." Davy Jones caught her hand in his. "Tis yours."

Suddenly Chloe's eyes widened and she glanced down at her bracelet, at the design of the crab holding the heart. An earlier memory flashed before her eyes, one of a crab passing Davy Jones a heart. " _The heart_." She stumbled towards the crabs, breathless in realization. " _It is here_!"

Suddenly the crabs disappeared, they flickered and vanished from sight.

She glanced towards Calypso and caught the goddess' eye seconds before she and Davy Jones flickered and disappeared as well.

Breathless, Chloe collapsed to her knees on the sand and began to dig.

* * *

Tia Dalma stood in the water below her tree home, a frown on her face. She'd felt something from her connection with Chloe, it'd been a rush of shock and emotion, but then it'd disappeared once more and no matter how hard the obeah priestess had tried she couldn't reconnect with the girl. This was troubling. She was used to full control and couldn't understand why her magic was failing her now so spectacularly. What was happening out there? What had happened when Chloe and Davy Jones had met? What was different?

Closing her eyes she tried concentrating harder, forcing more power than she was comfortable using, and for a split second she saw nothing but white sand and hands digging deep into it, and then there was nothing. Pain pierced her head and forced her to break the connection. A small bead of blood trailed down her left nostril and she wiped it away with disgust.

Shaking her head, Tia concentrated on her _other_ indentured slave, and smiled when she connected immediately, seeing snippets through his eyes as he stared out at the vast ocean. **_She be alive and on land_**.

Immediately Tia could feel his utter relief and knew that her message had been received.

Also, she could feel it. She wasn't sure how, but she knew it without a doubt.

The Black Pearl was close to the chest.

* * *

Chloe's hands were dirty and raw from having dug so long, so deep, but it was all worth it now that she had the small yet heavy chest in her hands. It'd taken all of her strength to pull it out from its hiding place, to take it from the open beach to the secluded, hidden cave, but it had been worth it.

Kneeling on the ground in front of the chest, Chloe brought her ear to the chest and listened. At first there was nothing, and then she heard it. Heartbeats. Gasping, she pulled away and gulped, just staring at the chest in disbelief. It hadn't been a metaphor! Davy Jones had yanked out _his actual heart!_

Reaching for her bracelet, Chloe pressed the heart in the crab's claw and opened the hidden compartment to reveal the key. Inhaling a deep breath she freed the key and slipped it into the keyhole, it fit perfectly. Despite that she hesitated a second before turning it, hearing the chest unlock. Tia Dalma only wanted the key, but Chloe needed to see inside of the chest, she needed to know what was inside of it. Needed to see the heart herself.

Hiding the key back in the secret compartment, Chloe gripped the sides of the lid and took in a deep breath before she flung it open to find letters. There were tons of them, all of them were addressed to Calypso Ogygia at Isla Cruces. _Isla Cruces? Why does that sound so familiar_?

The sound of a heartbeat distracted her, and Chloe carefully shuffled through the letters to find a crude knapsack lying at the bottom of the chest. The chest beat visibly. Nausea and fear filled Chloe and yet she couldn't stop herself from reaching forwards and resting her hand over the knapsack. It was warm to the touch and filled with life.

Images of the young, handsome, human Davy Jones flashed in front of her eyes, and before Chloe even knew what she was doing she was bent over, sobbing. She didn't understand the sorrow she felt so profoundly, but it was there in her chest, as if the sadness and pain of Davy Jones' heart was now her own. Sobs tore from her lips, loud and ugly, as tears filled her eyes and cascaded onto the burlap knapsack. Such pain, such agony, such betrayal! Why had his heart been in this much pain? This broken?

What had happened between Calypso and Davy Jones to make the happy man of her memories feel this much pain? Feel the need to yank out his own heart in order to stop feeling this? What had turned the man into the monster?

Yanking her hand away from the heart, Chloe curled up in a ball on the cave floor and sobbed in heartbreak.

* * *

"You will stay on the ship and that is final." Lucy glared at Giselle, who was glaring just as badly at her. "I have a iron-solid constitution. You do not. I cannot have you getting sick."

Giselle glared at her in utter defiance. "Just because you are immune to the common cold does not mean that your 'iron-clad constitution' will hold up as well against a _plague island_!" She swept her hands out towards the island in the distance. "What if Davy Jones and his men are already there? What if they somehow know and are awaiting you there in ambush?"

"Then I _definitely_ need you to stay on the ship." Lucy clamped her hands on Giselle's shoulders.

"But—!" Giselle began, back to the men who were readying one of the life rafts so the small group could make their own to the shore.

"I will not be able to concentrate on fighting if you are there!" Lucy interrupted harshly. "I will be too worried about you! Too distracted! I will _die_ if you go with us."

Giselle closed her mouth but her face showed her displeasure and fear. She glanced up at the sky, took in a deep breath, and then lowered her glare to Lucy's face. "If you die, so help me god, _I will_ _bury you_ _in a dress_!"

Lucy's eyes widened in horror. "You would never—!"

" _Try me_!" Giselle snapped at her. "You'll be in a frilly dress, covered in ribbons, for all eternity!"

Honestly a little terrified,Lucy gulped. "I will definitely not die then."

"Good," Giselle whispered, all her ire suddenly worry once more. "I do not want you going."

Lucy sighed. "I know that, Gi, you have made your feelings towards this painfully, frillily clear."

"I am sorry to interrupt," a new voice interjected as Lois joined them. "Lou might have his reasons for wanting you here, but so do I." She hurried before Giselle could interject anything. "Someone needs to take care of father while we're on the island."

Giselle's mouth clamped shut in shock.

Lucy turned to look at Lois in surprise as well.

"Usually Lana would watch over him, but she's oddly insistent she go to the island as well, and that leaves father here alone." Lois made a face as she watched father chase after his hat, which danced on the wind just out of his grasp. "He will not last two seconds without someone to watch over him."

Giselle flinched as she watched her father-in-law. "I see your point." She then turned her attention on Lois. "I will take care of him, but you must promise me that Lou will return from that island."

Lois smiled and nodded as she held out her hand. "It is a deal, sister."

Lucy's eyes widened. This was the first time that Lois had—.

Gi's eyes widened and filled with emotion but she cleared her throat and took in a deep breath. "Yes, it is." She then placed her hand in Lois' and shook it.

Lucy grinned and hugged both females tightly, happier than she'd felt in a very long time.

* * *

 ** _My Dearest Calypso_**

 ** _Being apart from you is torture, but every time I gaze at the sea I think of you and this pain in my chest becomes a little more bearable. I promised to honor the sacred duty you imparted in me, and I am humbled by the importance of the task, but this heart beats only for you, and the distance is physically painful._**

 ** _I dream of our carefree days on the beaches of Isla Cruces. I dream of your hair, your eyes, your voice and touch. I dream of your lips on mine yet I wake up and I am alone in this cold bed. I might be captain of a fine ship, and command the respect and obedience of a respectable crew charged with a sacred duty, but I do miss those days with every breath. I miss you._**

 ** _I thought immortality would make ten years go by in a blink of an eye, but every day is an eternity of its own. Sometimes I start to lose hope, but then I think of your face awaiting me when I return and it is what I need to push on, to make you proud and prove to all that our love is worthy._**

 ** _How I wish I could hear your song, my love._**

 ** _Until we meet again._**

 ** _Yours always_**

 ** _Your Davy Jones_**

Sitting with her back to the cave wall, Chloe glanced up from the newest letter in her hands. All around her were open letters, letters which she'd read in the dim light, letters in which Davy Jones poured out his heart, his love, his desire and his fears and insecurities to Calypso. What sacred duty had been given him? Being the captain of the Flying Dutchman? Had Calypso been the one to give him the duty to ferry souls who'd been lost at sea over to the other side?

If so, why?

And given the fact that she was the goddess of the sea why was his being the captain of the Flying Dutchman apparently a reason for separation? She _was_ the sea. She should've been by his side! None of this made _any_ sense!

Did it have anything to do with his saying that once ten years was up their love would be proved worthy? Was there some sort of test? And if so, who was testing them?

Taking in a deep breath, Chloe stared at the heart beating deep within the open chest.

 _What happened to you during those ten years, Davy Jones?_

Shaking her head, Chloe folded the letter and put it back into its envelope before reaching for a new missive and beginning to read it.

* * *

The group made it to the shore and peered around them. Jack, James, Will, Lucy, Lana and Lois gazed upon the beach of Isla Cruces and glanced further ahead of them, able to see a jungle in the distance. They'd wrapped cloth around their mouths and noses before leaving the Black Peal in precaution. The plague might've been wiped out many years ago (along with the inhabitants of Isla Cruces) but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Jack waved Lucy forwards with both hands.

Rolling her eyes, Lucy stepped forwards and held the compass up as she concentrated on finding the Dead Man's Chest. The needle spun around for a couple of seconds before finding a strong bearing, pointing towards their destination. "We have a bearing."

" _Lovely_!" Shoving the shovels in James and Will's chests, obviously not about to dig anything up himself, Jack grinned brightly and offered his arm to Lois.

Raising an eyebrow, Lois made a little noise and walked off behind Lucy when the girl in drag took off.

Jack grinned at Lois' back. "Saucy little tart."

Lana rolled her eyes, hitched up the skirt of her dress to a respectable height, and wobbled her way through the sand behind Lois.

* * *

 **TBC**


	16. Dead Man's Chest

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

16/20

* * *

There was a cave hidden, secluded, deep in the jungle which would've been nigh unfindable if it wasn't for the Compass guiding them through it. James glanced around, alert, not for danger but for Chloe. He knew in his bones that she was on this island. Not only had Tia Dalma told him so in not so many words, but the fact that the chest had been dug up (they'd walked passed the large hole on their way to the cave) but the small footsteps sunk deep into the sand under the weight of the chest proved that this was definitely Chloe.

That was why, once they made it into the belly of the cave and found the Dead Man's Chest open and letters strewn all over he froze, but not for the reason everyone else did. Where was Chloe? Why wasn't she here? Had something happened to force her to leave here quickly?

"It _is_ a heart!" Lois gasped as she stared deep into the chest, her words drawing people to her side. "It still beats!"

Will glanced around the cave, eyes skimming the dark water, before he frowned and moved to leave the cave.

"Where are you going?" Lucy called after him.

"Someone with a key opened that chest," he answered as he disappeared quickly from sight. "That means Chloe's here."

Lucy's eyes widened as she hurried out after him. "Wait for me! We'll use the compass to find her!"

"Lucy!" Lana cried out. "Do not just go running carelessly like that!" She raced out after Lucy.

Jack and Lois knelt over the chest, both staring at the chest, their heads tilted to the side before they shared uneasy looks.

Ignoring all going on around him, James moved towards the dark body of water deeper in the cave. The light in the cave was very dim and provided by small holes in the ceiling which let in rays of light, but it was enough for him to see slow movement at the bottom of the dark water. Blue eyes narrowed as he leaned forwards, trying to make out the figure in the water, and then the sunlight hit the water in such a way that he could see blonde tresses.

Without even stopping to yank off his boots or jacket, James dove into the water. It didn't even occur to him that this could be a mermaid. No. He dove deeper into the black knowing that it was Chloe, and once his stinging eyes adjusted to being under the water and he drew nearer he saw the figure feel his advance and turn to face him. For a second she was hidden in the darkness, and then a stream of light shifted and he could see Chloe's wide eyed shock. Her lips parted and mouthed _JAMES?_ while bubbles emerged from her lips and rose to the surface.

Despite his lungs burning him, telling him to surface, to get in a breath of air, James continued downwards until he was there in front of her. Even in the darkness of the water he could tell that the side of her face was incredibly bruised, swollen. Someone had hit her, hard. Murder coiled in his stomach as he softly caressed her cheek. _WHO DID THIS TO YOU?_ The little oxygen he had escaped from his lungs in bubbles, and his body _burned_.

Chloe's eyes filled in terror and then in seconds her arms were around his neck. Her body pressed against his, her mouth covering his as she breathed into his mouth, sharing her oxygen with his burning, begging lungs. Slender fingers slipped deep into his hair as Chloe's mouth moved against his, her legs encircling around his waist, keeping the movement of the water from separating them yet also bringing them incredibly close, improperly so.

A part of James told him he needed to separate them, that this wasn't proper at _all_ , but he ignored it as he carefully cupped her face and kissed her back. Emotion, magic, air, all swirled inside of him as they remained on the bottom of the water-filled cave floor. Groaning into the kiss, it was killing James to hold back, to be so gentle when what he wanted to do was press her up against something and lose himself in her, but she was injured and he was sure the others would soon realize he wasn't there anymore and would come looking for him.

That was the only reason why he finally tore his lips from Chloe, but the look in her low-lidded, darkened eyes almost had him kissing her once more. It took all of his power to motion up above them and mouth _LOIS_. Immediately he saw her reacting to that, her eyes opening fully, a smile on her face. He smiled in response to that and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before he began his ascension, the blonde quickly catching up to him and joining him as they made their way up and finally surfaced.

" _CHLOE_?" Lois' voice was shocked and trembled in emotion the second they did.

" _Lois_!" Chloe pulled herself out of the water and in seconds she was in her sister's arms, both girls sobbing in happiness as they clutched at each other.

Jack peeked up from where he was poking the heart inside of the chest with a twig. "Trust Blonde Swann to make a dramatic entrance." He grinned his gold-toothy grin at the girls and then went back to poking the heart curiously.

"Who _did_ that to your face?" Lois wanted to know the second she pulled away from Chloe.

James remembered seeing Davy Jones backhand Chloe, and he was only barely keeping his emotions in check.

 _Not now. But later. I will kill Davy Jones._

* * *

Will stopped when Lucy skidded to a stop behind him so abruptly that Lana slammed hard into her back with an _uuuumf_! He glanced back over his shoulder at them to find Lucy's gaze on the compass, her body slowly turning back towards the cave.

Before he could ask what was wrong the sound of a single canon fire pierced the sky loud and clear, the loud and jarring boom bringing their attention towards the direction of the beach. That had been the agreed upon method of conveying to those on the island that they were no longer alone. They needed to get back to the Black Pearl, but Will couldn't leave, not with Chloe somewhere on the island.

Jack emerged from the cave and raced towards the direction of the beach, dragging a squeaking Lois behind him. Seconds behind him, the Dead Man's Chest gripped to his chest, was a surprisingly soaked James Norrington. A step behind him was an equally wet Chloe, who clothes and hair stuck to her face, the latter of which was dark and swollen from the backhanded blow they'd seen her suffer at Davy Jones' claw. Her neck was had ugly dark rings around them, betraying where the pincers had grabbed and squeezed on multiple occasions.

Then and there Will promised himself he'd killed Davy Jones.

" _Chloe_?" Lana gasped, voice thick with emotion and eyes filling with tears as she threw herself at her sister, careful not to hurt her face as she hugged her tightly.

"No time!" Lucy yanked Lana off of Chloe before the blonde could hug her back, and with a quick "Hi!" to Chloe, Lucy was running after Jack and dragging Lana behind her much like he had Lois.

"What's going on?" Chloe asked in confusion.

"Davy Jones," were the first words Will managed to get out since she'd appeared.

Chloe paled and the three of them took off in the back of the group. They didn't make it far. The bushes around them shook with movement right before Davy Jones' cursed crew appeared and cut them off from the rest of the group.

"Give us the chest!" One of them snarled as he brandished his cutlass at James, who was unable to defend himself as he held onto the Dead Man's Chest.

As the creature swung, Will yanked free his blade and dove in the middle, intercepting the blow and countering it, causing the monstrous sailor to fall back two steps at the unexpected move. Hearing a sword being yanked out behind him, he cast a very quick glance over his shoulder to prove that Chloe had reached over and yanked out James' sword, holding her back to James' as she stood very similar to how Will was, both defending the man who was staggering under the extreme weight of the Dead Man's Chest.

"Do not make me _laugh_ , sea spirit," one of the creatures snarled at her. "You dunna frighten us with that blade."

"Then you are fools," James announced with confidence an unarmed man should not possess.

Despite everything, Will couldn't keep the hint of a smile off of his face. The sight of it must've provoked the one who'd attacked James before, because he snarled and charged, causing the others to do the same. Will met his blade with his own, concentrated on keeping as many blades as he could away from James and Chloe. He didn't afford himself many glances in their direction, but the few that he did proved that not only was Chloe keeping up on her own, but James was using the chest not only as a shield against any blow against him, but was using the weight of the chest to slam it into his attackers and send them flying back.

Kicking the blade of one of the creatures out of his hands, Will watched the blade twirling in the air and calculated, reaching out and catching it before twirling the handle of both swords in his hands in an admittedly show-off way as he smirked at the creatures. Now things were beginning to even out!

With a laugh he charged, both swords rapidly swinging around. While Will had always been a good swordsman this year upon the Black Pearl had given him more than a good amount of practice, and his talent with the blade had increased. Not only that, but he was fueled with the need for vengeance. Chloe's face was a constant reminder that the leader of these monsters had hurt her, and since Davy Jones himself was not here Will would get vengeance on his minions.

He had to admit though, he somewhat admired the way Norrington was using what was rightfully a burden as not only a shield, but a weapon as well.

"Behind you!" Will yelled when he saw one of the creatures behind Chloe.

Spinning around she sliced off the creature's head (which had a crab shell as a part of it) with her blade, causing it to go flying and hit one of the other monsters in the head, visibly disorienting him as the hard shell connected loudly with his skull. Pride filled him as he watched her actually use the move he'd taught her on an actual opponent.

"I taught her that!" He bragged to Norrington in a playful tone.

Chloe reached towards the monster's body as it begun to collapse, and (to Will's surprise) yanked out the monster's pistol, which she then fired once at a monster behind Will, and then at another behind Norrington. When one of the monsters got too close and stabbed with his knife she dodged the blow and twirled around, slamming the butt of the pistol into the back of the creature's head, knocking him right out before shooting at another approaching creature.

Norrington laughed as he glanced over at Will. "And _I_ taught her _that_."

Will nodded, impressive.

Chloe turned to find a cursed pirate too close and, right as he raised his dagger, she kneed him in the balls, hard. The creature dropped his dagger, collapsed to his knees, and grabbed his balls with a howl.

Norrington, Will, and the cursed crew stopped for a second to flinch in empathy.

Not at all sympathetic, Chloe stabbed her blade deep into the creature's heart before she yanked her bloody blade out and turned to both Will and James. " _Barbossa_ taught me that."

Will and James exchanged amused looks, and with that the fighting continued.

* * *

The Flying Dutchman was visible on the sea, it was large and ghastly, truly a ghost ship. Once realizing that James, Chloe and Will were not behind them Lucy's plan had been to get Lana and Lois onto the rowboat and then go back after her friends and sister, but the Flying Dutchman wasn't the only thing visible once they made it to the beach. There were crewmen awaiting by their rowboat, and it took Jack and Lucy all they had, fighting, to keep Lois and Lana protected.

Even with their own unique and impressive skill with the blade they were losing quickly, and Lucy had started to panic before suddenly a scream erupted behind her and she turned to find a sword sticking out of the monster about to run her through. It fell to the ground to reveal Chloe behind it. Will, bearing two swords, was also now in the fray as James rushed to place the Dead Man's Chest on the rowboat. The second the Dead Man's Chest was down James turned to the battle but was weaponless.

"Mr Norrington!" Will yelled and tossed him one of his swords.

"Mr Turner," James thanked with a dip of his head as he caught it and charged in attack.

With James, Will and Chloe now there the fight was evening out, but while the humans had talent, the creatures had numbers. Even now Lucy could see more emerging from the water to take the place of their fallen comrades. Davy Jones' men would soon outnumber them, or tire the group out then take them.

Lana took refuge on the rowboat, eyes wide in horror as she looked around her, clutching Jack's jar of dirt to her chest as if it would save her life.

Lois reached into the rowboat and grabbed a set of oars, swinging the wider section into the face of one of the creatures before shifting her grip on it and slamming the handle hard into the stomach of one of the creatures coming at her from behind, knocking the breath out of it.

Jack, of course, was doing his odd drunk-yet-somehow-incredible swordplay that always confused Lucy. Many times she wondered if he was really as drunk as he portrayed, or if he only _wanted_ them to think he was so they'd underestimate him.

"We have to get to the Pearl!" Lucy yelled over the sound of war as more and more of Davy Jones' men arrived.

"We won't make it!" Will yelled back at her.

James turned his attention quickly to Chloe. "Do you need the Dead Man's Chest? Or Davy Jones' heart?"

She shook her head and placed her hand on the bracelet Tia Dalma had given her. "I have everything I need."

He nodded, kicked the creature into Will's blade, and then put his own sword away as he turned and hurried towards the rowboat. In seconds he had the Dead Man's Chest in his hands. "When I go, get in the rowboat, get to the Black Pearl, and get the hell out of here."

"Sure!" Jack declared, way too eager to accept this.

" _No_!" Chloe glared at James. "I will not-!"

Somehow managing to pin the heavy chest against his side, arm curled around it, James reached for Chloe and drew her in by an arm around her waist. In seconds his mouth met hers and consumed her protest.

Lucy's eyes widened in shock. This was _highly_ improper! The impropriety didn't exactly bother her, but she'd never thought she'd ever live to see James Norrington be improper! Her gaze went to Will to find his face scrunched yet he forced himself to watch as Chloe's hands rested on James' chest, clearly not about to push him away.

James let go of Chloe and gripped the Dead Man's Chest with both hands before he took off, and as he'd obviously planned, the cursed pirates forgot all about the others and took off after him.

"NO!" Chloe made to follow but Jack grabbed her from behind and held her back. "JAMES!" She struggled with Jack. "LET GO!"

"I say we honor the man's last wishes," Jack announced cheerily. "Do you not agree?"

Despite it all, Lucy nodded. "Yes. " They needed to get to the Pearl. Davy Jones would attack the Black Pearl and those onboard with the Flying Dutchman if they stayed there much longer. So despite the fact that she wanted to stay and help she had Gi and her father to think of. "We need to leave, now."

Shifting her grip on her sword, Chloe slammed the handle _hard_ into Jack's ribs, the unexpected pain causing him to let go of her with a cry. "Go before Davy Jones attacks! We will find you!" With that she took off running.

"CHLOE! DON'T!" Lana screamed as she stood on the rowboat, but the blonde didn't even look back at her, racing after the cursed pirates. " _NO_!"

Will took in a deep breath and turned to Lucy. "Take care of them."

"You too," Lucy whispered as she tossed the compass to him. "Find us."

Pocketing Jack's compass, Will nodded and took off after Chloe.

Lucy watched them go for a second before Jack interrupted her.

"We need to go, posthaste!"

Sending Will and Chloe one last look, Lucy nodded and herded Lois back to the rowboat. It was only when she began to push the rowboat back into the sea that she realized something. "Where's Lana?"

The trio glanced around them in confusion before they spotted Lana in the distance running into the jungle.

"What is she doing?" Lois went to hurry after her.

Lucy caught her arm. "We have to go."

"We cannot leave her!" Lois cried out in horror.

"She made her choice, whatever it was," Lucy responded urgently. "Those people on that ship need us. Our _father_ needs us." She took in a ragged breath. "There's nothing to keep Davy Jones from attacking the Black Pearl… my _wife's_ on that ship."

Lois stared at Lucy in pain before her hazel gaze went to the jungle. "We will find Chloe, James and Will. We will come back with them."

"Lois, _no_." Lucy tightened her grip on her sister's arm as terror filled her.

Fear was visible on Lois' face as she surged forwards and hugged Lucy tightly, whispering in her ear. "Keep Giselle and father safe." She pressed a kiss to Lucy's cheek as series of shots rung out from the direction Chloe, Will and James had disappeared in. The sisters drew apart from each other and stared in that direction.

"Lois," Jack appeared by her side. "You _cannot_ —."

Lois turned to Jack and kissed him, shutting the pirate up immediately.

Lucy's eyes widened in shock as she stared at her sister hold Jack in place by his dreadlocks, the brunette definitely the aggressor in the kiss. Jack's eyes widened before they closed, but before his ring-covered hands could reach for Lois she'd pushed away, given them one last look, and turned to run after Lana.

Everything in Lucy told her to go after her sister, but a sound echoed from the Flying Dutchman that caused her to look back towards the sea. "We have to go, Jack."

He stared in the direction Lois had gone.

" _Jack_!" She snapped at him. "We have to go!"

Turning back towards her, Jace took in a deep breath and nodded. "Right."

* * *

 **TBC**


	17. Confrontations

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

* * *

The images, the deaths, flashed in front of Lana's eyes as she raced through the jungle towards the destination she'd been seeing for the last couple of days. The group weren't supposed to be separated, Davy Jones' cursed crew weren't supposed to have arrived so quickly, so many things shouldn't have happened and she was terrified that what she was doing now would be useless. But she couldn't risk it. This was the only outcome she'd seen in which Lucy didn't die horribly in the next couple of minutes on this damnable island, and no matter what Lana had to make sure that that didn't happen. She had to save her sister.

Guilt clawed at her at James rushing off to his death… _for nothing_. The Dead Man's Chest no longer held the heart of Davy Jones, but she had not been the one to take it out. She'd noticed the dispersed dirt around the jar of dirt and had realized what Jack must've done, although she wasn't sure when exactly he could've done so. All she knew was that on closer inspection she'd found the beating burlap sack and had hidden it in the folds of her dress, and known what she had to do.

Tripping, Lana twisted around so as not to fall on the heart. In seconds she was on her feet, the sounds of shots from the direction that Chloe was in made her go faster. She had to do this, had to save everyone! If she did this everyone would live! Ian Mercer would stab the heart of Davy Jones, would kill the man and stop the murders! Would stop the fighting! Would stop everything! And since she'd already brokered the deal Lana could be assured that her family would be safe from retribution of any kind.

Finally breaking through the jungle towards a small cove, Lana saw Ian Mercer and his group of men surrounding two rowboats, their ship hidden from the others on the other side of the island, and yet visible behind them. She'd told them where to wait when she'd gone to see Ian Mercer in Tortuga, and now that she was here, complying with her end of the bargain, he had to do the same. He had to stop the fighting, had to exonerate her family, had to give them the pardons which would allow them to go back to their old lives, to their home, with impunity.

And Lucy would stay alive.

"Do you have it?" Ian Mercer asked as his men flooded out of the rowboats, armed to the teeth.

Nodding, Lana reached into her jacket and pulled out the beating burlap sack. "It is here. Now fulfill your part of the bargain. Stab it, end this."

Ian Mercer took the beating burlap sack from her and opened it to peer inside of it and the heart. He paled, eyes wide, and then cleared his throat and closed the sack once more. "Come, we are going."

"What?" Lana stared at him in horror. "No! Stab the heart! You _promised_!"

"I promised you that the heart would be _taken care of_ once in my hands," Ian Mercer hissed as he turned to face her, eyes narrowed. "I _never_ said that I would stab it."

Dread chilled Lana. "You _have_ to! If not my friends, my family, will die!"

"Not all of them, surely," Ian replied without a care. "And whoever survives will be given a full pardon." He smirked. "Lord Beckett _is_ a man of his word."

How had she not seen this? Confusion filled her as she stumbled back. She'd seen – she'd been so sure! Why had this happened? Why did she suddenly feel so _used_? Had… had someone _made_ her see what she'd seen so that this would happen? Why did she suddenly feel she'd been manipulated and used? Where _had_ this ability to see into the future come from anyway? Now that she thought about it, truly thought about it, what if they weren't true glimpses? Chloe had only been on that ship when she had been because of Lana's visions.

Lana stumbled back a step, eyes wide. _I have been used_.

" _What have you done_?" Lois' voice was like a bucket of ice water down Lana's spine.

 _No!_ Lois wasn't supposed to be here! Lana twirled around to stare at her eldest sister in horror. " _No_."

"Well, look who we have here boys," Ian Mercer sneered. "It is Lord Beckett's runaway bride! We bring him the heart _and_ the girl! We will be paid _grandly_ for this!"

The men chuckled and moved closer.

"No!" Lana stepped in between them. "She is not part of the deal! The deal was that my family would be free! Be pardoned! Be safe!"

"And where will your sister be safer than in the hands of the man who controls the sea?" Ian Mercer wanted to know with a chuckle. "Get her."

Lois tried to escape but there were too many of them. She fought, she struggled. Lana did as well. She tried to get to her sister, to help her escape, but there were too many men and they were too well armed. The girls screamed and struggled but were both yanked into the shallows towards the rowboats to be taken back to Cutler Beckett.

"No!" Lois fought desperately. "NO!" She somehow managed to elbow the one holding her enough to let her go. Lois yanked his blade free and swung at the man, but seconds before she could cut into her captor a gunshot rang out and she cried as she froze.

Lana stopped struggling and stared wide-eyed at her sister.

The one Lois had been about to slice at had pulled out his gun and shot her in her abdomen. Lois dropped the sword. Blood poured out of her as she collapsed to her knees and coughed up crimson.

"No." Lana stared at her sister as the water around her began to bleed red. "No!" She tried fighting once more but was yanked passed her sister onto the rowboat, irons clapped on her hands and feet. "Let go of me! I have to go to my sister! Let go!"

"You _imbecile_!" Ian snarled at the soldier and shot him right between his eyes. "It is time to go."

"No!" Lana screamed as she continued to struggle in vain. "We cannot leave her! No!"

"Lord Beckett has no use for a dead bride," Ian replied coldly as the men all climbed into the rowboats and rowed away towards their ship.

Lana screamed her sister's name, eyes on Lois' as those hazel rolled in her socket and Lois collapsed face-first into the water. "LOIS!" Suddenly something shot out of Lois' body, something almost translucent yet… yet it called to something inside of Lana. That _breeze_ (?) raced from the beach into the jungle.

"LOIS! _LOIS_!" Lana screamed, but her sister remained face-first in the water, which was now completely crimson.

* * *

When Chloe finally caught up to where James was he stood surrounded, the Dead Man's Chest in his heads as the creatures came closer and closer to him. Her pistol took out the ones closest to him, and when the creatures turned towards her, weapons held up, ready to charge, Chloe dropped the pistol and her sword.

"Chloe, what are you doing?" James snapped at her.

"Give them the Chest, James." Chloe kept her eyes on Maccus. "It is not worth your life."

"You were supposed to escape!" James' voice was not only angered, but filled with desperation. "You were supposed to be safe!"

"You obviously do not know her as well as you think you do if you think she would allow someone to die for her," Will declared as he appeared from the jungle behind her, surprising even Chloe with his appearance.

"Give them the chest, James," Chloe repeated as she held her hands up and took a step towards Maccus. "Go, take it to your master."

"If he gets the chest no one will be able to stop him taking revenge on us," Will reminded Chloe softly.

"Tell him the original offer still stands," Chloe told Maccus as she drew closer. "Tell him I can help with the curse, but me and mine must be safe from him and his."

"Do not listen to the sea witch!" Koleniko snapped at Maccus. "She be full of lies! Iff'n she really could help the Cap'n would have-!"

Betting everything on this chance (and trying not to think of the fact that it might not even work), Chloe quickly knocked Maccus' blade to the side and grabbed him by his neck, staring deep in his eyes. The half hammerhead shark, half human shifted his sword to stab at her when suddenly he felt it, and he froze just as Chloe felt pain fill her. Right before everyone's eyes Maccus' body shifted, shimmied, _changed_ , and the hammerhead half peeled away to reveal the human man he'd once been.

Davy Jones' cursed men stared at their shipmate in visible shock.

Koleniko dropped his cutlass and took a half-step forwards. "Take her, Maccus! Bring her back with us!"

Will and James went to move at Maccus when suddenly something slammed into Chloe's back. For a split second she thought someone had stabbed her, but the pain was burning and non-ending as it filled her completely. It was as if burning water was running through her veins, as if a lightning storm flashed beneath her skin, as if a cyclone spun viciously around her heart.

Crying out, Chloe let go of Maccus (who changed back to his cursed self) and collapsed to her knees, her hand to her heart as she whimpered. Tears filled her eyes but evaporated like hot water the second they spilled onto her cheeks. Her hair whipped around her as if caught in hurricane winds, her breath escaping her lips visible like fog over the sea.

…

 _"No!" Lois fought desperately. "NO!" She somehow managed to elbow the one holding her enough to let her go, and she yanked his blade free and swung at the man, but seconds before she could cut into her captor a gunshot rang out and she cried as she froze. The one Lois had been about to slice at had pulled out his gun and shot her in her abdomen. Lois dropped the sword. Blood poured out of her as she collapsed to her knees and coughed up crimson._

…

Chloe's eyes widened in horror, not even noticing as the skies above her began to darken, lightning flashing while thunder clapped loudly. " _No_."

"Take her!" Koleniko yelled and went to do so since Maccus just _stood_ there. Right as Koleniko's spiked hand reached for Chloe Will swung his blade, but it never made contact because a lightning bolt raced down and struck Koleniko right in his chest, sending the cursed sailor flying back in the air.

The pirates all stared at Chloe in wide-eyed shock.

" _No_!" Chloe pushed to her feet, gaze eye and horrified on James and Will. She was still in so much pain but that was a far second to the images racing through her mind, all of them very vague, confusing, but one thing was clear. Her sister was hurt somewhere, dying. The picture of crimson water continued to flitter over her eyes tauntingly.

"What is it?" Will wanted to know urgently the same time that James asked: "What did you see?"

" _Lois_!" It hurt to say her sister's name. "We have to- _Lois_!" Chloe turned on her heels and raced away, following the vague memory showing her the way to where her injured sister was.

A split second later James and Will were right behind her.

Not one of Davy Jones' men tried to stop them.

* * *

Tia Dalma's eyes flew open and she clutched at her chest, her heart beat so fast and hard it was painful. She'd known this day would end in death, but she'd supposed the death to be that of the Seer, not the eldest girl. But blood had been shed and she could feel the life draining out of Lois Swann as she lay surrounded by crimson water. Also, as she was dying and no longer a suitable vessel, the amount of magic and power which had been placed within her and which had laid dormant in her all these years had finally left her body.

A part of her pitied Lois. Unlike her other sisters she'd never managed to truly activate the power lying dormant in her veins. Lana's had helped give her visions, Lucy's gave her incredible instincts which guided her in battle and helped her sense her opponents' moves before they made, which was part of why she was such an incredible swordswoman. But Lois? The power inside of her had merely been used to take over her father's household in absence of a mother, to stay by his side and increase her father's influence through her machinations. She'd run the household, raised her sisters, and hosted all of her father's public events. Behind every great man was a great woman, and Lois had been the one behind her father and his continued control over Port Royal despite how bumbling he could be. It was part of why Cutler Beckett had always wanted her.

There'd been times during her adventures that the magic inside of Lois had nearly activated, most especially while around Jack Sparrow, but she'd tempered and pushed it back, even if unconsciously so. Maybe that was why she was the one to die. The magic needed to be harvested from one of the sisters, why not from the one who was not using it?

Sighing, Tia Dalma closed her eyes and concentrated once more.

* * *

"Why has he not attacked as yet?" Giselle wanted to know as she stared at the Flying Dutchman and its horrifying captain, who stood at the helm of the ship, gaze on the Black Pearl.

Father was dabbing an embroidered napkin against his forehead furiously, staring at the ghost ship of legend. "Who is to understand what goes on in the mind of a fish monster?"

Figuring that was a good answer, Giselle's grip tightened on the railing as she continued to look towards the Flying Dutchman. She knew that they were not safe, Davy Jones was _waiting_ to attack, she just couldn't figure out. Was it just an intimidation tactic? Mental warfare meant to intimidate them first? Or was there something else going on?

Her eyes widened. _Is he waiting to see who has the chest with his heart?_

"Something is wrong!" Pintel cried out, causing everyone to turn towards where he and Ragetti were watching.

"There are only two returning!" Ragetti agreed.

Giselle pushed passed the others and hurried to the pirates' sides, eyes wide she saw the rowboat only contained two people. One was Jack, he was distinguishable from far due to his hat. The other… _was Lucy_. A breath of relief escaped her lips as she shoulders sagged.

"Where are Lois and Lana?" Father asked the second he reached her side. "Why are they not there as well?"

Giselle's bone-deep relief evaporated immediately as she realized that Lucy was coming back without her sisters. _What happened_?

Above them, unnoticed by those on the Black Pearl, thunder and lightning clashed as the sky began to darken.

On the Flying Dutchman, Davy Jones's gaze slowly lifted to the sky, his eyes narrowed.

* * *

Breaking through the thick jungle foliage, Chloe skidded to a stop as she stared at the bloody water surrounding her motionless sister. In seconds she was running down the beach and into the water, yanking Lois in her arms and turning her around so that she wasn't face-first in the water. Lois was pale, cold, limp.

 _Lois! You cannot die on me!_

Pulling Lois out of the water, Chloe collapsed on the shore, her sister's body lying on her lap lifelessly. "Wake up, Lois! Open your eyes! _Wake up_!"

* * *

"Where are Lois and Lana?" Father asked the second Lucy made it aboard the ship. "What happened? Why are they not with you? Or Norrington or Turner for that matter?"

"They are still on the island," Lucy whispered as she reached for Gi's hand. "We have to leave now, before Davy Jones realizes we do not have the chest or his heart and attacks."

"We cannot leave them behind!" Father cried out in horror as he turned to face Jack. He opened his mouth to say something else but the Flying Dutchman suddenly sunk rapidly into the sea and disappeared, drawing everyone's attention to where it had once been.

A couple of the crew raced towards the side of the ship but Lucy tightened her grip on Giselle's hand to keep her by her side as she slowly back away.

Suddenly the Flying Dutchman emerged from the waters very close to the Black Pearl, Davy Jones easily within talking distance. He was so incredibly horrifying looking. She'd thought his cursed pirates were a terror to behold, but he was so much worse.

"Lord on high," Mr Gibbs whispered as he did the sign of the cross over his chest. "Dinner for us."

The pirates aboard Davy Jones' vessel yelled out threats and laughed.

"I will handle this, mate." Jack slapped a palm to Mr Gibbs' chest as he moved towards the Flying Dutchman while clasping his jar of dirt to his face. "Oy! Fishface!" He yelled, immediately catching Davy's attention. "Lose something?" he asked, holding that jar of dirt over his head proudly. "Oh!" He miss-stepped and tumbled down the steps loudly.

Everyone aboard the ship flinched in empathy.

Lucy merely pushed Giselle behind her. She wasn't sure what Jack was doing, but she was almost sure he was about to make things a hundred times worse for them.

"Got it!" Jack held up the surprisingly enough unbroken jar as he sprung to his feet. "Come to negotiate have you, eh? You slimey git." He pranced back and forth behind the railing proudly. "Look what I got." He shook the jar tauntingly. "I got a jar of dirt!" He proclaimed sing-songily. "I got a jar of dirt!" He held the jar up over his head once more. "And guess what's inside it!"

" _Enough_!" Davy Jones snarled.

Jack grinned brightly, showing off his gold teeth. "Let us see what you have to say to _this_!" He dropped the jar, let it break and disperse the dirt all over the deck. His grin slowly disappeared from his face as he stared at the dirt in horrified realization. "That bleedin' girl!"

"What is it, Jack?" Mr Gibbs whispered.

Jack's gaze went to Davy Jones and he flinched. "We are all going to die."

Davy Jones smiled, his tentacles flickering as he turned to his men. "HARD TO STARBOARD! SEND HIS BELOVED PILE BACK TO THE DEPTHS!"

That was all the warning those upon the Black Pearl got before the canons on the Flying Dutchman fired all at once, hitting them critically all along the ship.

Lucy turned towards Giselle and forced her down to her knees, covering her body with her own, protecting her from the flying debris.

Even in the chaos and explosions she heard hear Davy Jones ordering: "Let them taste the triple guns!"

"AYE CAPTAIN!" His underling yelled back.

Suddenly the sound of booms even louder than normal canons pierced the air. All around them people were blown to bits, blown off of the ship, barrels blown into smithereens.

Someone hit the back of the railing next to Lucy and she glanced up to see her father staring at the Flying Dutchman in horror.

"Father!" She reached up and yanked the shocked man down, trying her best to shield both Giselle and father throughout the chaos.

Jack raced to the wheel and took over, steering the Pearl around so that the wind from the storm brewing above them picked up on the sails and jerked the Black Pearl forwards with its strength. With Jack at the helm, the Black Pearl quickly put distance between it and the Flying Dutchman, leaving the attacking ship behind it.

Father quickly stood up, hand on his wig and stared behind him in awe. "She is falling behind!"

"Aye!" Mr Gibbs appeared at his side. "We have got her!"

"We are faster?" Lucy asked in surprise as she and Giselle finally stood.

"Against the wind the Dutchman beats us, that's how she takes her prey!" Mr Gibbs explained joyously. "But _with_ the wind…!"

"We rob her of her advantage," Giselle whispered in understanding.

"Aye!" Mr Gibbs agreed as those aboard the pirate shipped cheered.

Lucy did not join in though. She stared behind them at the Flying Dutchman, who'd lowered its anchor and stopped the chase. Why would it do that? Why-?

"What is it?" Giselle asked Lucy. "You are squeezing my hand so hard it hurts."

"I am so sorry!" Lucy apologized and would've said more but suddenly a large ripple boomed out from around the Flying Dutchman, a burst of pure power rippled outwards and pierced through Lucy's bones.

"What was that?" Giselle whispered, voice filled with fear.

Lucy stared at the far off ship in sudden, horrifying realization:

They'd just released the Kraken.

* * *

 **TBC**


	18. The Kraken

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

* * *

Chloe stared down at her sister's body, numb and blind to all that was around her. Tears fell from her eyes and bathed Lois' face, wiping the blood away as Lois's unseeing eyes stared up accusingly up at her. This was all Chloe's fault. This was _her_ debt to be paid, Lois, Lana, Lucy… _no one_ else should have to suffer or hurt because of her debts, her shackles. Lois shouldn't have come. She should've stayed in Port Royal where she was safe, _not_ come after Chloe. _Chloe_ had killed her. She'd left Lois on that beach without a second's thought. Her sister's blood was on _her_ hands.

"Chloe." Will's voice was soft as he bent in front of her. "We have to go. We have to find a boat, something, and get out of here before Davy Jones' men find us."

Not answering, Chloe merely stared down at her sister's face.

James bent next to Will. "I will take her."

Chloe tightened her grip on Lois and shook her head.

" _Yes_." James' voice was soft yet no-nonsense. "You need to give her to me."

She didn't want to, didn't want to ever let go, but Chloe closed her eyes and relaxed her grip, allowing James to take Lois from her and arrange her in his arms. When Will eased Chloe to her feet she went numbly, staring ahead of her unseeingly, still very much in shock.

Suddenly the sounds of screams were carried to them by the breeze, the sound jolting through her, finally getting through to her.

"Oh no," Will whispered the same time James said: "The Black Pearl."

Eyes wide in horror, Chloe took off towards the sound.

* * *

The tentacles were impossibly long and thick as they climbed up the sides of the Black Pearl and began crushing the already structurally damaged ship. The pirates tried blasting through parts of the tentacles which covered the canon holes but the damage inflicted only seemed to piss the beast off even more as it attacked viciously, swiping at those onboard.

Two tentacles wrapped around the mast and tugged in opposite directions, tearing it to pieces and causing the large mast to fall down on those scurrying for safety below. Lucy had her blade out, fighting a tentacle away from her and her family. She motioned for her father and Giselle to run towards the lifeboats while she served as a distraction.

"BEHIND YOU!" Giselle yelled.

Lucy had already felt it and twirled around in time to duck the attack of the tentacle, close enough to see that its suckers had teeth deep within. Running, she ducked and rolled, getting out of the way as the two tentacles hit each other. "GET TO THE LIFEBOATS!"

All around her people ran and screamed, shooting and fighting, trying to protect themselves and those around them. All around her people were dying, it was a massacre.

Giselle and father skidded to a stop inches from the lifeboats as tentacles emerged up from the water behind them, suckers expanding to show the teeth deep within.

Lucy's eyes widened in horror.

They were going to die.

* * *

In the far distance Lana could see the Kraken devouring the Black Pearl and all those within. Even from this distance they could hear the sound of screams as the Kraken's tentacles ripped everything onboard apart.

Tears filling her eyes, she leaned her forehead against the bars of the cell and sobbed.

 _What have I done?_

* * *

Chloe skidded to a stop on the beach as she stared at the horrifying picture in front of her. Davy Jones' kraken was tearing apart the Black Pearl and massacring all those onboard. Her sister was on board.

 _No_.

Will collapsed to his knees as he stared at the horrible sight knowing there was nothing they could do to help.

James stumbled slightly yet managed to remain standing, his grip on Lois' body trembling.

Chloe entered the water, wading out until she was up to her chest. All around the Black Pearl the water was crimson, like it had been around Lois. The image of finding Lois floating face-down interchanged with the carnage happening behind her as the wind picked up, whipping Chloe's hair and dress around her dangerously. Her hands fell to her sides, elbows-deep in the water as she stared at the ship.

" _No_." Something inside of her bubbled like boiling water as she watched the Kraken rising more and more, killing those on board. " _No!_ " The waves breaking against her became more violent, hitting her hard, yet she didn't move. She felt like she was suffocating, like she was coiling up so tightly she'd break apart into a million pieces. A flash of Lois' dead face appeared before face. "NO!" A scream was brought to her by the wind, and while Chloe knew it was impossible to tell with this distance somehow she _knew_ it was Lucy. " ** _NO_** _!"_

Suddenly, like when that nameless thing had pierced through her, Chloe felt something exploding out of her like ripples, painful, horrible ripples. But she couldn't stop it, wouldn't stop it.

Everything went black.

* * *

Davy Jones' smile disappeared from his face as the black sky opened up and lightning poured down upon the sea like a heavy rain. It rained down all around the Black Pearl yet somehow managed to miss the ship and its occupants completely while instead hitting every tentacle and lighting the water so brightly Davy could see the way the water seemed to be bubbling, almost as if it was beginning to boil.

The kraken was clearly in distress as it tried to jump out of the water yet was too heavy to perform that maneuver.

Gazing up at the sky, feeling that magic in the air, Davy Jones glanced down to feel goose bumps rising up his arms. He'd felt magic like this before, a very long time ago, and while it was definitely faint in comparison to what he'd once felt, he knew it well.

Following the feeling of magic, Davy's gaze found her, and even in this distance he could see the way her eyes were clouded over, the way the sea bubbled under her hands. The wind blew around her like a hurricane, and her hands… they were translucent, the same color of the sea. That translucency slowly crept up her arms.

Eyes widening, stomach queasy, Davy finally let himself say what had been on the tip of his tongue for so long now: "So _that_ is your form now."

* * *

While Will had first wanted to go into the water after Chloe he'd been stuck in place watching the transformation taking place. Even with her back to them, Will could see the translucency of the water rising up her arms, taking over, as the water around her bubbled. He'd sent a quick look in James' direction to find the man look just as shocked, but when Will had gone to step into the water James had snapped for him not to, and Will had obeyed. He didn't know what the other man knew, and didn't want to take chances. They didn't need _him_ injured as well on top of everything.

Suddenly Chloe collapsed, the translucency disappearing as she hit the water. Almost instantaneously the shower of vicious lightning stopped pouring from the sky.

In seconds Will was there by her side, yanking her out from the water, which was incredibly warm. He pulled her into his arms and hurried back to the shore, feeling for a pulse and finding one. His dark gaze met James' and he nodded.

James let out a breathe of relief.

Shifting Chloe's weight in his arms, Will turned his gaze out towards where the Black Pearl was barely holding together on the sea.

* * *

"Get in the lifeboats! Quickly! While it is trying to recuperate!" Lucy ushered the survivors into the lifeboats. "In! In! In!" She didn't know what miracle they had to thank for the rainfall of lightning, but it'd stunned the kraken enough for it to withdraw, but if the rocking of the waves had anything to say the creature was still alive. That meant it would be back. They had very little time to act.

Neither Giselle nor father had been happy about being thrown into the first lifeboat, which now hit the water and was being rowed towards land, but Lucy wouldn't let them protest. She was too busy now filling in the second of three remaining lifeboats with those who'd been to injured to get into the first.

Mr Cotton's parrot was already flying his way back to Isla Cruces, abandoning his human to chance it on the second lifeboat.

Quickly filling the second lifeboat, Lucy pressed the lever and allowed a quick descent, the lifeboat hitting the water roughly. "GO!" She yelled to them as she readied the third and last lifeboat. "GET TO SHORE!" She peered up at Jack, who was at the helm, staring at the water surrounding the Black Pearl. "HURRY! IN! IN! IN!"

The few remaining pirates boarded the last lifeboat.

Lucy turned to Mr Gibbs when he settled into the seat. "Get them to shore."

He turned to look at her in horror. "What about you and the captain?"

Lucy's only answer was to yank the lever, sending the third and final lifeboat hurtling down to the water and detaching it, allowing the lifeboat to begin floating away on the crazy waves.

"Oy! Cygnet!" Jack yelled from above as he descended the stairs rapidly. "I think you have forgotten two very important points!" He reached her side and stared at the third lifeboat. "A, that was the last lifeboat! B, _we are not on it_!"

"This is the only hope they have of making it to shore," Lucy whispered, gaze on the lifeboats. "That kraken is not after them, Jack." She turned to him. "It's after _you_."

"So you plan on sacrificing me for your own good?" Jack wanted to know as he yanked out his sword and pointed it at her. "Because I will not just stand by and let you kill me so you can survive!"

With a quick swish of her sword Lucy knocked Jack's out of his hand, the sword landing blade deep in the wood by his feet. "Who said I plan on surviving?"

Jack frowned, all his hostility immediately turning into visible confusion. "What are you saying, Cygnet?"

"I am saying that people _I love_ are on those lifeboats," she whispered in a choked tone. "I am saying that if _we_ do not stay here and keep that monster's attention off of them they won't make it to the shore."

Jack stared at her in confused awe. "You plan on staying with me."

"Please." She smiled despite the tears that stung in her eyes. "You would not last a minute here alone." Her voice broke and her smile trembled, but she kept her chin up, her stance firm. "You need me, Captain."

Jack stared at Lucy in silence before he shook his head and gave a small smile which did not meet his eyes. "You are a better man than I, Cygnet." Yanking his blade free from the plank, Jack took in a deep breath as the sea began to rumble with life, the Black Pearl shaking as the creature beneath it began to rise once more. "Are you ready, Lucy?"

She nodded with a trembling smile.

As one, a multitude of tentacles rose up all around the ship.

Sharing one last look, Jack and Lucy attacked.

* * *

Governor Weatherby Swann held Giselle closed as she screamed and cried, trying to get out of the lifeboat, to go back to the ship, but he wouldn't let her. The man held onto her close until she broke down and sobbed into his chest. He wanted to comfort her, wanted to do _something_ , but like those not rowing on the lifeboats he was unable to do anything but watch as Davy Jones' kraken completely destroyed the Black Pearl and swallowed whole the ship and the two people remaining who'd been fighting desperately on it.

A father should never outlive his daughters, and yet he'd outlived Elizabeth, had thought he'd outlived Chloe, and now had outlived Lucy. Horror and agony mixed inside of him at the lost of his youngest child, the one he'd only now been able to get back.

The Flying Dutchman disappeared under the water, leaving the survivors in peace. No one cheered.

" _Why_?" Giselle sobbed into his chest.

He had no answer. He wanted to know the same thing. _Why_?

As they'd been the first lifeboat deployed into the water they reached the shore first, and when he felt the lifeboat hit the sandy bank he turned to look over his shoulder and froze. " _No_."

Will Turner and James Norrington each had one of his daughters, both of them limp. Chloe was here, she was… _Lois was covered in blood_.

Stumbling out of the lifeboat Weatherby Swann raced towards his daughters, able to see Chloe's chest rising and falling, but Lois was deathly still.

There were tears in James' eyes. "I am sorry, sir."

No.

Weatherby looked behind him where the Black Pearl and Lucy had once been, and then turned to Lois. His whole body trembled as he slipped his eldest out of Norrington's arms and collapsed to the sand with her, sobbing into her face. His child lay lifeless in his arms.

 _No_!

" _And Lana_?" His voice broke.

"She was taken," James responded softly. "From the look of the beach there were many armed men and a struggle. She did not have a choice."

" _Davy Jones_ -?" Weatherby looked up at the man who had almost been his son-in-law.

James shook his head. "There was a body. He wore the uniform of the East India Trading Company."

" _Cutler Beckett_." Weatherby could barely get the rat's name out passed his lips as he realized that he had lost yet another daughter to a different sort of monster.

James nodded. "I am so sorry, sir."

Cradling Lois in his arms, not caring that he was covered in her blood, Weatherby Swann threw his head back and screamed.

* * *

Never before had Will seen Governor Swann so low. He might have never truly seen eye to eye with the man who'd always made it known that he didn't believe Will worthy of Chloe, but it hurt him to see the man sobbing over the loss of three daughters in one day.

 _No man should ever have to feel that sort of pain._

Will frowned as he felt the hairs on his arms raising on end. There was something in the air, something strange, something powerful – something drawing near. He looked up in time to see something almost completely translucent but not racing towards him. He'd seen something similar to this not an hour ago while they'd been surrounded by Davy Jones' people.

The _thing_ raced through the air and, unlike the last time, pierced through Chloe's _chest_ , causing her unconscious body to arch up in Will's arms in response. He could feel the electrifying response in her body, her body filled with goose bumps as it heated as if hit by a stray thunderbolt. Immediately the tattoo on her hip (the one he only knew because he'd awoken and seen it the morning they'd awoken chained to the same bed in the Black Pearl) was shining brightly.

James hissed and reached into his shirt, pulling out a medallion which was visibly glowing.

Will frowned as he eyed the medallion reacting similarly to Chloe's tattoo. Where had Norrington gotten that? What was its connection to Chloe's tattoo?

Before he could ask what was happening, what the medallion and tattoo were and how they were connected, dolphins chittered in the distance, drawing their attention. A whole pod of them were drawing nearer. Dolphins like the one tattooed on Chloe's hip. The first one reached the boat and chittered at Norrington.

There was a curious look on Norrington's face. It was definitely open shock, but as he clutched the medallion he let out a stuttered breath. "We have to get in the lifeboats. They will tow us to Tia Dalma's."

"How—? Pintel stared at Norrington in confusion.

"Obviously got hit in the head, he did," Ragetti declared.

"Stay here if you want," Norrington turned to them. "But we are going." His gaze turned to Will.

Surprised at the question there, Will nodded. "We will go."

A smile of thanks spread across his face before James turned to Governor Swann and helped the man take his daughter's body and sit in one of the lifeboats. Giselle sat next to the older man and leaned her head against his shoulder.

A group of dolphins grabbed onto some rope from one of the lifeboats and took off with it deep into the sea.

Seeing this, the pirates hurried into the last two lifeboats, and once everyone was inside the remaining dolphins split off into two groups and began to tow them behind the other.

* * *

 **TBC**


	19. A Tail of the Sea

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

There IS wifi here! So here's chapter 19/20!

* * *

The survivors of the destruction of the Black Pearl huddled around Tia Dalma's house. Some were being tended to, others merely shellshocked. Father had withdrawn into himself, wasn't speaking to anyone, and merely cried. Giselle kept closed to him, and they seemed to be a source of strength for each other. Chloe hadn't been able to look her father in the eyes since she'd awoken. They'd hugged, they'd cried, and her guilt had grown and grown. He'd lost three daughters in the course of one day because of _her_.

Lying on Tia Dalma's bed, Lois' body was a constant reminder of the fact that everything Chloe touched she destroyed. James, Will, her sisters - they were all constantly hurt because of _her_. She carried some horrible juju on her. She was a bad omen. She was… everyone had been well, had been healthy, had been living good lives when she'd not been a part of their lives.

Seated in the corner of the bedroom, Chloe hugged her knees to her chest as she stared at her sister's body. Guilt consumed her darkly from within. Her sisters should've never been here. Should've never been a part of this.

Tia Dalma entered the room and eyed her as she clasped her hands in front of her. "You must eat."

"What else do you need me to do?" Chloe asked without taking her eyes from her sister's body.

"Excuse me?" The obeah priestess asked softly.

"Now that you have the key what else do you need?" Chloe took in a deep breath as she turned her eyes finally on the woman. "It does not matter what it is I will go, I will do it, it does not matter how dangerous it is." She hoped it was dangerous. She hoped it was painful. "I will do it alone."

Brown eyes narrowed as the older woman came closer and bent to her knees in front of Chloe, blocking her view of Lois. "You want ta punish yourself for a crime you did nah commit." She reached out with lightning reflexes and gripped Chloe's chin tightly, painfully, forcing her to lean to her side to look at Lois. " _You_ did nah kill ya sista."

"I left her on that beach," Chloe whispered, voice choked. "If she had not been looking for me she would not have been there in the first place!"

"Dis is not _your_ doing!" Tia Dalma snapped at her, voice a hiss like a snake. "Da world does not revolve around you! Not everytin dat happens has to do wid _you_!"

Chloe flinched and turned her green eyes on the obeah priestess.

"Now stop being _so pathetic_ and _do_ _sometin_ about dis!" Letting go of Chloe's chin, Tia Dalma slammed her palm against Chloe's forehead, pinning her head against the wall.

Chloe's green eyes widened as memories washed over her.

…

 _Feet bare and tender from so many days of traveling underwater, Chloe tried her best to ignore the pain and walk on the grassy sections of the island as she made her way towards the cave. It had been a while since the last time she'd been on the island but like last time she didn't stop to look around. She was on a mission, one she'd been taken from her home for, and she would see it through as quickly as possible._

 _Entering the underground cave through the secret entrance, Chloe descended into the deep of the earth, moving silently until she found herself in the treasure room. Nothing had changed from the last time that she'd been here, not even Barbossa. His body was exactly where she'd seen it fall, dead, his corpse incredibly preserved despite the fact that it had been so long since he'd fallen by Jack's shot, body half in the water._

 _Heading towards Barbossa, Chloe hesitated when she reached the container filled with the cursed doubloons that had started everything. The lid was partially open, as if someone had opened it up, but no one would've been fool enough to take a doubloon from this chest, so she ignored it and continued on to the reason she was here: Barbossa._

 _She tried not to think about what she was doing as she gripped him under his arms and began to drag his body towards the water. It was a struggle, but finally she managed to pull Barbossa down into the water with her, and once that was done it was easier. Slipping under the surface, Chloe began to swim, pulling Barbossa behind her. She stared around her at the treasure-filled passage, but it didn't tempt her as she made her way through the long underground tunnel._

 _The journey out to the sea was shorter than it had been on land, and once she emerged from the cave system Chloe could see the sunlight piercing through the water. She surfaced for a moment and gave the island a look before glancing towards the barrier reef, able to see the mermaids there waiting on her. They would not cross the barrier reef onto these shallows, and that was why she'd been taken from her home to do what they could not._

 _Once she reached the barrier reef she pulled Barbossa over it and they both fell into the sea on the other side, where the mermaids were waiting._

 _Marina and a couple of them took charge of Barbossa immediately, taking his heavy form from her._

 ** _How are your feet?_** _Syrena asked, her voice in Chloe's head._

 ** _A bit cut, but nothing I cannot handle_** , _Chloe promised._

 _Nodding, happy to hear that, Syrena motioned to the surface and swam upwards._

 _Chloe followed her and when she did noticed that Syrena was pointing at Isla de Muerta, and yet before she could ask what the mermaid wanted, she could hear the voice chanting around her loudly, the sound echoing throughout the sky. With each series of chants something inside of Chloe tightened, hurt, felt about to break. She clutched her chest and tried to breathe, but found herself unable to._

 _Right as black spots began to dance in front of her eyes, thunder and lightning clashed above-head and descended down on the island in a thick, torrential downpour that lit up the sky so brightly it was painful to the eyes. Raising her hand to try and shield her vision from the terrible brightness, Chloe squinted, feeling the water rippling against her violently seconds before the island began to sink into the sea. Chloe could feel the pull of the current and turned to Syrena in fear as she could feel herself being sucked towards the descending island._

 _In seconds Syrena, reminiscent to the night she'd taken Chloe from her home, jumped at the blonde, gripped her, and descended into the water, swimming away with her. Unlike Chloe's legs, Syrena's tail was more than strong enough to get enough distance between them as they hurried after the others._

…

Chloe gasped in a deep breath of air, confusion and shock filling her, but before she could utter a word…

…

 _"Him died wid a duty to perform." Tia Dalma stared down at Barbossa's body, which lay in her bed. "Him be needed. Me 'ave tings planned dat I need 'im for."_

 _"You can do that?" Chloe asked softly as she stood next to the obeah priestess, to the woman whose voice had been in her head for so long now. She'd never have expected that the mermaids would be working with The Voice, but she should've. And now she was closer to her own freedom thanks to it. "You can bring someone back from the dead?"_

 _"It depends," Tia Dalma explained softly. "First, I need an intact body. Him must have died in de water or touching water. Him spirit cannot be at peace." She motioned to Barbossa as an example. "A tie to da powers and magic dat surround us is important."_

 _"His curse," Chloe guessed._

 _Tia Dalma eyed the blonde oddly. "Da bond forged when your blood was used will make dis easier dan it would udderwise be. We can skip some steps, some requirements, because of it."_

 _Chloe frowned in confusion. "Why? Why do I have the abilities that I do? I understand the connection to the sea is through your intervention, but the healing - the coming back to life - that was before I ever met you."_

 _There was a moment's silence as Tia Dalma ran the back of her fingers down Chloe's cheek, expression pensive. "Do ye know de story of Davy Jones?"_

 _Her face scrunched up in surprise, in confusion. "To be truthful I do not know much, only that pirates and sailors fear him alike."_

 _"Him once was not de legend, but a man, a mere sailor." Letting her fingers fall from Chloe's face, Tia Dalma moved towards Barbossa's body. "Him met de goddess Calypso an fell in love wid her at first sight. She was de daughter of de god Atlas, and ruled de seas. Sailors and pirates both loved and feared 'er. Her mother was a human, so she could take human form, or partial human form, unlike de other gods, and it was in dis form dat she met Davy Jones and bewitched him wid 'er beauty."_

 _"Did she fall in love with him too?" Chloe asked softly._

 _"She was a goddess, dey do not love de way humans do." Tia Dalma sat down next to Barbossa on the edge of the bed._

 _"But she was half human," Chloe reminded._

 _A surprising smile tilted the woman's lips as she turned her head to glance in Chloe's direction. "Dat be true."_

 _"So she_ ** _did_** _love him," Chloe surmised._

 _"She rewarded him love fer her, gave 'im the Flying Dutchman as well as the sacred task of collecting all the poor souls who died at sea, and ferrying them to de worlds beyond. Davy Jones agreed to set foot on land once every ten years, where him could come ashore and be wid Calypso." Tia Dalma ran her finger down Barbossa's nose. "Dey wished to prove dere affections to each other, and to de gods, but when Davy Jones came ashore after him ten year duty, Calypso was nowhere to be found."_

 _"Why did she not show?" Chloe asked as she held her hand to her heart._

 _"It matters not now," Tia Dalma responded after a moment's silence as she licked her lips. "What matters is dat she was not dere, and dat him_ ** _never_** _forgave her for it." She turned to fully face Chloe. "So Davy Jones plotted wid the First Brethren Court to tear de rule of the seas away from de sea goddess and bind her -_ ** _imprison_** _her - in de body of a mortal woman."_

 _This was fascinating, but what did it have to do with_ ** _her_** _?_

 _"Do you know how to bind a half goddess to human form?" Tia Dalma asked, and when Chloe shook her head, the obeah priestess stood to her feet. "You_ ** _destroy_ **_her divinity. You_ ** _destroy_** _a piece of her." Tears filled her eyes as she took one step, and then the other, towards Chloe. "You_ ** _tear_** _it out and you leave her eternally_ ** _empty_** _inside. You force her to a lifetime of_ ** _never_** _being_ ** _whole_** _. You make it so she can_ ** _never_** _be fit for her divinity, so she can_ ** _never_** _be what she should be, what she was_ ** _born_** _ta be." The tears now fell down Tia Dalma's cheeks, her voice wavering with emotion. "I could not let dem do that to me."_

 _Chloe's eyes widened as she stared at the obeah priestess. "_ ** _You're Calypso_** _."_

 _"Dey destroyed Calypso,_ ** _him murdered her_** _. I will never be 'er again_ ** _because of him._** _" Tia Dalma took in a stuttered breath, her eyes dark, her voice angry and hurt. "When I realized I could na stop what was to happen to me, I did de only ting I could do. Before dey could finish de ritual I broke myself apart and sent what I could save far away, to find a host and be safe. It found a girl who could nah die, a girl touched and changed from human to half by stones from the sky, a_ ** _half_** _like_ ** _I was_** _."_

 _Chloe stared at her in shock._

 _"You died for de first time before it could all go to you, so de small part remainin' went to your sisters, and den you were brought_ ** _here_** _. To_ ** _my_** _world. But time and magic work in mysterious ways, and many many lifetimes passed before you showed up in dis realm." Tia Dalma reached out and once more caressed Chloe's cheek. "Doing what I did preserved my immortality enough dat I aged_ ** _very_** _slowly until you could be brought here, and as you grew I could_ ** _feel_** _you. I managed to learn human magic, and can access de sea wid what lickle remains in me, but its is_ ** _nottin'_** _compared to what I once was."_

 _"Your power is inside of me," Chloe whispered. "You_ ** _divinity_** _is inside of me." Her eyes widened in horror. "_ ** _You must hate me!_** _"_

 _Tia Dalma chuckled and shook her head. "No, child. Because it is inside you I have_ ** _hope_** _." She stared behind her at Barbossa. "To do what has to be done, him must be alive, but I cannot do dis wid my limited powers." Her gaze returned to Chloe. "I need_ ** _you_** _."_

 _"I do not have the ability to bring someone else back to life," Chloe told her in a panic. "I do not even know how_ ** _I_** _brought myself back to life!"_

 _"You will nah do anytin,_ ** _I_** _will access de powers in you and use you as a conduit of my will." The goddess in human form frowned. "It will nah be easy on you, you do nah have all my power, it was split between you and your sisters because you died before it could completely transfer to you." She hesitated. "Dere could be repercussions."_

 _"Such as?" Chloe asked softly._

 _"Memory loss, for one. Another be…_ ** _confusion_** _." Tia was completely honest. "Dis will also activate de power sleeping in you, de power dat only worked when I wanted it to… it will now be fully awake inside you. De sea will take notice."_

 _"Notice how?"_

 _…_

Tears fell down Chloe's face as she stared up at Tia Dalma. Her lips parted and she tried to speak but words didn't emerge. She had to force the worse passed her lips, and they were hoarse. "When Lois and Lucy died… what I felt… it was the pieces of your divinity inside of them… entering me."

The goddess in human form nodded. "You _are_ de chosen vessel. Never dem."

…

 _Chloe screamed as the power within her roared like a hurricane as Tia Dalma stood between her and Barbossa, a hand on each, chanting words Chloe mightn't understand, but the powers inside of her did. It was hot, suffocating, it was almost too much to bear, and then it_ ** _was_** _, and her knees buckled as an explosion of power rippled out and the world started to darken._

 _The last thing Chloe remembered, before everything went black, was the sound of Barbossa's boots hitting the floor as he sat up in bed._

 _…_

"You can bring her back to life." Chloe stared up at Tia Dalma with sudden understanding as she stumbled to her feet. "You can save Lois!"

 _"_ And _why_ would I do that?" The goddess in human form asked as she also stood to her feet. "What would _I_ get out of bringing dis girl's spirit back into her body?"

"I will make another deal with you, while still being bound to the one I have now," Chloe responded desperately. "I will give you _whatever_ you want… _my life_ if you want it… if you _need_ it to get your divinity back and revenge on Davy Jones for what he did to you."

Tia Dalma tilted her head to the side, eyeing Chloe with deep cunning in her eyes. "You would vow your life to me? That it will be mine to take if I please or desire?"

"As long you bring Lois and Lucy back," Chloe responded. "They should not have died."

Tia Dalma smiled. "You want _Lucy_ back too?"

Chloe nodded. "Yes."

Tia Dalma eyed Chloe and then glanced over towards Lois. "I cannot bring Lucy back de way I could bring Lois. Not only is 'er body not here, but 'er soul was consumed by da kraken, it resides with Jack in Davy Jones' Locker."

Chloe closed her eyes in heartbreak.

"But _I can_ assist you in retrievin' her _and_ wiley Jack from de Locker." That cunning expression darkened on her face as she smiled. "In exchange for dere lives I want your obedience." She glanced towards the door. "Dose pirates out dere see wiley Jack as a savior who gave him life fer dem. Wid de right motivation dey will be what we need ta get back both of dem."

"You want help providing this motivation," Chloe understood.

"Exactly." Tia Dalma nodded.

Chloe stared at the woman. "You need Jack, just like you need Barbossa."

For a moment Tia Dalma just stared at her, and then she grinned brightly. "Dis is why I like you. Such a _sharp_ lickle mind."

Licking her lips, suddenly realizing hitting hard, Chloe smiled. "I take it back."

Immediately Calypso's smile disappeared. "Excuse me?"

"I do not _need_ my sisters to live, I _want_ them to." Chloe moved towards Calypso. " _You_ , on the other hand, _need_ Jack alive."

"You still owe me," Calypso hissed to Chloe. "You have promised to fulfill your role."

"Yes, but that is a role that existed _before_ Jack's death changed the whole scenario," Chloe realized. "His death, and anything I do to help you get him back, is _outside_ of our arrangement. I do not have to promise you anything." She smiled. "We _both_ have people in the Locker we want out, and apparently we need each other to do it."

"So you will just let Lois die?" Tia Dalma asked curiously. "You will let her body rot while knowing you could save her?"

"No, because you are going to bring her back to life."

Tia Dalma chuckled. "And why exactly would I do dat?"

Instead of answering, Chloe instead changed the subject. "The reason you were not there that day on Isla Cruces was not because you did not love Davy Jones." Chloe gripped at her heart, which was beating rapidly, sadly. "Who kept you from going to the beach that day?"

Closing her eyes, Tia took in a deep breath. "My father." Her eyes opened. "He did na believe dat Davy Jones was worthy of my love, and he was _right_. He held me against my will for months, and when I finally freed myself and went ta Davy Jones he did na believe me, he was my only safe harbor and him _betrayed_ me."

"Do you know what I felt when I touched Davy Jones' heart?" Chloe reached out and placed her hand on Tia Dalma's heart. "It was filled with sadness, with regret, with agonizing pain. It was so horrible, so much to bear, that he preferred to yank it out of his chest and place it within a different one."

"Do you expect me to feel somethin hearing that?" Tia Dalma asked with disgust, her eyes held a sheen of unshed tears. "Do you expect me to forgive him? To see that he suffered? Do you believe that him pain could ever compare to what he did to me?"

"No." Chloe shook her head. "I expect you to take your divinity back from my body when you are able to, I expect you shove his heart back into his chest, and once he feels that pain… that agony… I expect you to kill him."

Tia Dalma stared at Chloe in open-eyed shock. "You just said dat your life would not be vowed to me."

"I was alive and able to heal myself on my own _without_ your divinity, you said it yourself, I was already a _half_ when your divinity found me, it was what attracted it to me." Chloe stepped closer. "Taking your divinity will not kill me, I will not promise you my life. But if you bring Lois back to life I promise to help you get revenge on Davy Jones for what he did to you."

Tia Dalma stared up at Chloe and smiled a brilliant smile, all trace of tears of sadness melting from her face. "You have passed." With that she turned and walked towards Lois' body.

Chloe's face scrunched in confusion. "Passed?" She hurried after the goddess in human form. "Passed _what_?"

* * *

Lois was dead.

Lucy was dead.

Chloe and father were most probably dead as well.

It was all _her_ fault.

Lana Swann stared at the large, half-finished painting of a map of the world (as they knew it) covering one whole wall of the room, her back to the desk. Her body was cold, numb. She'd expected to be thrown in jail again but instead she'd been placed in her home under lock and key until Cutler had called her in. He hadn't looked up from the papers he'd been reviewing, and she hadn't complained. Instead she'd turned her back to him and stared at the large painting, tried concentrating on anything other than what she'd done and where she was.

The sound of a pen dipping into ink and swishing against paper could be heard behind her. She finally found Isla Cruces on the map and forced herself to look at it, to stare at the island where she'd caused her family's deaths.

"Miss Lana," Cutler finally spoke. "Please, sit."

Finally turning, Lana faced the devil himself. She moved towards the seat opposite Cutler Beckett's and sat down on it, her hazel eyes baring into his.

"I heard about the tragic news regarding your sister," he declared. "It would never have happened had she not foolishly made her bed with pirates." He clasped his hands in front of him, elbows on the table. "I must admit that I underestimated you, Miss Lana. I always took you for nothing more than a pretty face, but when you not only _found_ Mr Mercer in Tortuga but brokered a deal with him I realized that you were more cunning - and dear I say, intelligent - than I could have ever expected."

She remained silent, her tongue heavy in her mouth.

"Not only did you realize that throwing it in with pirates was the wrong thing to do, but you managed to bring me the one item which I desire above all else." He eyed her thoughtfully. "How _did_ you know that I desired Davy Jones' heart? The only one with this information was Mr Mercer, and I know he is not one to gossip."

"I have my ways," she finally spoke. "But in the end it did not matter, my sisters are dead. My father is probably dead as well. I am alone because of own actions." She eyed him. "I killed my family."

"Pish posh, what _nonsense_ ," Cutler tsked as he shook his head. " _Your_ actions did not kill them, _their_ actions did." When she opened her mouth, he cut her off. "There are also unconfirmed sightings of your father, _alive_." He smirked. "Only he is a fugitive of the law sailing with what remains of a pirate crew."

Lana jolted up in her seat. "My father's alive?" At Cutler's nod her heart raced in relief… and then she remembered what else he'd said. "He is _not_ a fugitive! Our agreement was that I would get you the heart of Davy Jones and in return my whole family would be pardoned of every crime they might have committed, even Lois for leaving you. _You_ promised that she would be free, free from charges and _free from you_." She stood and slammed her hands down hard on the desk. "My sister died struggling because _you_ went against your word!"

"It was not intentional to have her hurt," Cutler assured her. "But I could not have her disgracing me the way she did. I was promised a daughter of Governor Swann and I would have her! It was just good business."

"Well, your business _killed_ her." Lana glared at the man.

He eyed her thoughtfully. "I have always wondered what oriental slums Governor Swann must have met your mother in. While Lois, Lucy and Chloe could pass for full blood sisters there is definitely a hint of the foreign in _you_." He raised an eyebrow. "Did he meet your mother during a trip to a whorehouse in Singapore maybe?"

She slapped him, hard.

"Be careful Miss Lana, I can have your father taken to England and made a very explicit example of," Beckett declared as he stood, standing eye to eye with her. "Now _sit down_."

Taking in a deep breath, Lana did just that.

"Good." He sat. "Now tell me, _how_ did you know that I wanted Davy's Jones' heart?" He watched her sit silently, rebelliously. "Remember, Miss Swann, your father's life depends on your answer."

* * *

 **TBC**


	20. The Key

**Disclaimer: Don't own PotC or SV.**

 **Here's the last chapter, guys! Hope you enjoyed this!**

* * *

The key was in a miniature, fist-sized cauldron over a large fire in a small house outside of the treehouse, on the ground. It appeared that Tia Dalma did her cooking and other fire-based activities here, which made sense given her actual house was up in a tree surrounded by water. Davy Jones' key was covered in herbs and flowers as it melted from the heat while Tia Dalma stirred it with a wooden spoon and chanted words in a language Chloe did not recognize but could feel deep within her.

The door opened and James entered, closing the door behind him. "You called for me?"

"No?" Chloe answered in confusion as she turned away from the cauldron to face him.

"I did not mean you," he whispered, not meeting her gaze.

At first she didn't understand, and then she did. Her eyes widened in horror as she rushed to him, slamming her hands in his chest. "What did you _do_?"

James caught her wrists and kept her from continuing to hit him. "I did what I must to help you."

" _No_." She shook her head in denial. "Take it back! Take the deal back!"

"No." James brought her right hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her inner wrist. "I will not."

Tears filled her eyes as she turned to Tia Dalma in anger. "What did you take from him? What are his conditions?"

Tia Dalma didn't answer, she merely removed the cauldron from the fire and swirled the liquid in it under her nose. The metal and herbs she'd used had melted into one bubbling silver mess. "Smells ready."

"Do not change the subject!" Chloe snapped at the woman. " _What_ are his conditions?"

"Ask _him_ ," Calypso responded as she held the container up by the handle towards Chloe. "But before that, drink."

" _What_?" Chloe asked in horror as she stared at the bubbling liquid. She'd assumed that Tia Dalma would be the one drinking that infernal looking concoction. Never had it crossed her mind while the woman melted it down and chanted over it that the thing had been for _her_.

"That will _kill_ her!" James snapped.

"Dis is magic I used before I was bound, displaced magic. It is part of da key to my imprisonment on dis island." Tia Dalma stared at Chloe. "It needs to stop being displaced, and once inside you, da spell will be broken on me."

"Will it trap _her_ on this island?" James wanted to know suspiciously.

"O' _course_ not," the goddess in human form snorted before urging Chloe to take it. "What use would I 'ave for her _trapped_ 'ere?"

Taking in a deep breath, Chloe took the small cauldron by the wooden handle and took in a deep whiff of the bubbling, melted liquid inside. It surprisingly enough smelt of flowers, lavender maybe. Her gaze went to James, who looked unhappy about the happening and doing his best to keep from arguing with both Tia Dalma and herself. He knew just as well as Chloe did that she didn't have a choice, and he wouldn't make this more difficult for her.

Closing her eyes, Chloe brought the cauldron an inch from her mouth and poured the boiling liquid inside of her. At first touch it was horrifyingly hot, but within a second the liquid was merely warm as her throat worked, downing the oddly tasting creation. Much quicker, and less painful, than she'd thought it would be, Chloe drank the whole cauldron and passed it back to the older woman. She looked between James and Tia Dalma, not sure what was supposed to happen, and then it did.

Light shone out of her tattoo as her body suddenly lit up from the inside and boiled as if her blood was _on fire_. She doubled over and would've fallen to her feet if James hadn't caught her and pulled her to him.

James' body wasn't enough to keep the splendor of the magic swirling inside of her, rippling out of her in visible waves like a tumultuous sea. Calypso's power inside of Chloe reacted violently, and Chloe felt herself close to being sick on James' shoes. Images of Lucy and Lois' last minutes of life flashed sickeningly before her eyes, and then suddenly Tia Dalma (who stood next to Chloe) exploded in light… and power raced into Chloe as a scene played in her mind.

…

 _Cutler Beckett looked up at her as he finished signing a document. "You have made the right choice. Now, thanks to you, what remains of your family will be safe." He turned to stare at a glass box, within which the Dead Man's Heart throbbed visibly._

 _Lana clutched her own quill tightly as she glanced over at her reflection in the glass in disgust. "Thank you… husband."_

 _Suddenly pain erupted through Lana's body, it was as if part of her was being torn away, and as the brunette collapsed to her knees in pain she watched as something ripped itself out of her and raced away._

…

Gasping, Chloe clutched at James' shirt tighter as understanding hit. Whatever Tia Dalma had done had no only freed the woman from whatever was binding her to this island, but it'd started a chain reaction within Chloe's body which had culminated in Calypso's remaining divinity to tear out of Lana and join the rest of it within Chloe's body. That was why Chloe's own body had felt in such turmoil. The magic, now completely united inside of Chloe, crashed against each other like waves in a hurricane.

Her tattoo blazed brightly, painfully, her skin feeling like it was about to peel away from the intense heat emerging from within.

"Finally!" Tia Dalma yelled, hands thrown up in the air, eyes blazing red. "I am free of this island! The bounds shackling me to it, leaving me unable to set foot off of it, are now _broken_!"

"What is happening to her?" James wanted to know as he crouched down next to Chloe.

"My first step towards _true_ freedom 'as triggered certain _event_ s," Tia Dalma responded as she moved towards them, movements more graceful somehow. "Da rest of Calypso's magic has made its way into her…" she paused. "Da rest dat is available at dis moment, at least."

"Will it hurt her?" James looked up at Tia Dalma while still helping support a whimpering Chloe.

"It _will_ hurt… but will nah hurt her," Tia assured him as her own glowing slowly died out so that she appeared as she always had, but to Chloe there was definitely a different air around the older woman. "She would'na been chosen if her body could not take it."

"Stop talking about me as if I am not here," Chloe coughed, nausea rolling within her. She watched as her own body stopped glowing as if fire were just beneath.

A commotion exploded loudly in Tia Dalma's home, but the three in her cauldron room on the shore behind the tree ignored it.

"CHLOE!" Will yelled from the treehouse, the sound of people coming out and hurrying down caused Tia to open the door. The three of them made it out of the hut in time for the group who were not too badly injured appeared, obviously drawn by the explosions of lights which had occurred beneath them in the cooking hut.

Father wrapped his arms around Chloe, the man trembling as he held her closely, his voice shaky as he spoke into her hair. "I thought I had lost you too!"

"What happened here?" Giselle asked as she glanced around in suspicion. "It appeared as if a huge explosion had taken this place.

Chloe met Will's worried gaze over her father's shoulder, and she gave him a small smile, letting him know she was really okay.

"She is _fine_ ," Tia Dalma explained to them with a cunning little smile. "We were just _conversin_ about de tings dat would be _necessary_ ta bring de dead back to life."

That caught everyone's attention immediately as their gazes returned to what they believed to be merely an obeah priestess.

"Can you… do that?" Father whispered, his whole body trembling.

"Can you bring Lucy back to us?" Giselle wanted to know, her eyes, red and puffy from endless crying, fixed on Tia Dalma.

"Or Jack?" Mr Gibbs asked as his pirate crew agreed.

"If I could, what would you do?" Tia Dalma eyed the pirate crew. "Would you brave de many dangers at de shores at world's end ta bring back wiley Jack?"

"No." Giselle stepped forwards. "But I would _for Lou_."

Father nodded as his arms went around his two daughters. "As would I."

"Aye," Will added without a moment's hesitation.

"Aye!" Mr Gibbs yelled, which instigated a cheer of "ayes" from the pirates around them.

The corner of Tia Dalma's lips twisted in a small smile as she glanced over the pirates who stood beneath her home, all falling into place. Her gaze shifted over towards Chloe and James, eyebrow raised, her smile amused.

"Where she goes, I go," James answered the question not spoken, his gaze meeting Tia's dark eyes. "So, aye."

Nodding, Tia Dalma finally fixed her gaze on Chloe. There was something odd behind those dark orbs, but it didn't scare Chloe.

Chloe returned the small smile and nodded.

Reaching out, Tia tapped Chloe's hip with a nod.

Something jolted within Chloe from her tattoo as it burn painfully. She flinched and tightened her grip on father in response. It took her a couple of seconds of breathing through the pain to finally be able to find her voice. "Cutler Beckett has the Dead Man's Heart," Chloe revealed what she'd just seen, causing everyone to turn to look at her in horror. "I do not know how I saw it, but I did. Lana gave it to him." She felt sick to her stomach. "She married him, most probably to protect us."

Father turned to look at Chloe in horror. It just said so much about how this adventure had changed him that he didn't question her ability to suddenly see things that were impossible.

"Whoever has the heart controls the man," Tia Dalma announced grimly. "We must move, quickly. There are many things we need if we are to go to Davy Jones' Locker."

"Aye," Mr Gibbs agreed. "But with Jack and Cygnet both gone, who will captain the Pearl?"

"Well," a voice declared from behind Chloe as the reeds shook. "I reckon that would be me." Captain Barbossa stepped out of the thick reeds, a large grin on his face. "Tell me now, what has become of me Pearl?"

* * *

William Turner may be a lot of things, but he was not an idiot or blind. That was why, while everyone congregated around Barbossa, he stepped off to the side and followed Tia Dalma towards the edge of the water. He could tell she knew he was there and that meant she'd expected him to follow her. Who exactly was this woman? Did a mere obeah priestess have the ability to bring other people back to life like this? And what was her connection to Chloe and James?

"You 'ave many questions, William Turner," she announced as she gazed at the dark waters.

"What is your connection with Chloe? With Norrington?" He frowned. "You are the reason she has that tattoo she keeps hidden. You keep insinuating it." He stepped forwards. "You are a part of the secret she has been keeping from us."

"Sharp boy," the obeah priestess praised with a chuckle. "I saved 'er life when she was with Barbossa." She glanced over to where the pirate was speaking to a wide-eyed Chloe and a pale, clearly unhappy Norrington. "She owes me 'er _life_ , and until she pay dat debt, she belongs _to me_."

Will's eyes widened in horror. Chloe _belonged_ to someone? To this obeah priestess? And she'd belonged to her for so long? "So you are the reason things like her being kidnapped by mermaids happens."

"Not _entirely_ , but yes, I _did_ aggravate the situation." She turned to face him, expression and tone flirtatious. "Did I nah warn you, William Turner?" She folded her arms over her chest. " _De other half I know-tis true, dis island's been expecting you. The sea 'as claimed yer heart 'er own, forced allegiance to 'er throne, torn between eart' an' sea, a battle looms before thee_."

Will's eyes widened at the memory of the woman who'd come upon them and uttered those confusing words to him so long ago. "That was _you_?"

"Of course not, I was _here_." She motioned around her. "But I spoke through a believer. I _warned_ you, but you did not search for de truth. You had my warning, you saw 'er tattoo, but you were content to cover yer eyes and not question anytin." She raised an eyebrow. "Do not blame _me_ if _him_ ask 'er de questions _you_ should have. Do not blame _me_ if _him_ come to me to trade fer _her_ safety. Him want 'er safe, him willing to sacrifice everytin for dat."

"Norrington made a deal with you?" Will whispered as suddenly everything started falling into piece all around him. "What did he have to barter? He has nothing."

"Him has _everytin_ ," Tia Dalma corrected oddly as she patted her heart.

Surprising worry filled Will as he turned back to look at Norrington, who spoke to Chloe, a hand at the small of her back. What had the man have to barter… but himself? He wouldn't have bartered himself, though, would he? If he had he'd have assured himself that he would not be able to have her, and hadn't he and Will promised each other a fair fight for Chloe once this was over?

"She will need you before dis is over," the obeah priestess brought his attention back to her. "Before we can get back wiley Jack we must bring back Lois, it be one of 'er conditions." She shook her head. "But we nah have what we need to bring de girl back, nah yet. Dat is where _you three_ come in."

He frowned. "Go on."

"You are de only ones not hurt, de only ones who can make dis work in de time it needs to be done." She stepped closed. "Only de _three_ of you, working together, can make dis happen, can get me what I need ta bring Lois Lane back to life."

 _Lane_? Once again Tia Dalma was calling the girls by different names. She'd called Chloe _"Sullivan"_ once before.

Will waited in silence, but when she said nothing more he frowned darker. "Are you not going to try and offer me a deal as you did Chloe and Norrington?"

"Me never offered anytin to Norrington, _him_ offered _me_ ," she corrected immediately with a little huff. "An' anyway, me nah 'ave ta offer you anythin. You will do what I need you ta do, because you want ta _protect_ her." She tilted her head to the side. "And protect her is all me need from you. For now at least." With that she turned and left, leaving Will by the edge of water alone to go over everything he'd discovered.

He glanced over to the others to find Norrington having gone off on his own, the man staring at the water with a frown on his face. Will took in a deep breath and made his way towards James.

* * *

James was very wary with this plan to work along Barbossa. It had been bad enough when they were allies with Jack Sparrow, but Hector Barbossa was a whole other issue, and it killed him to be unable to voice his true feelings regarding this. He'd signed those refusals away when he'd made the deal, and while he wished he could refuse to work along with the pirate he wouldn't, he'd made a deal and the outcome of that deal was all that was important.

"You made a deal with the obeah priestess," Will's voice declared behind him. "What was the price you paid?"

James took in a deep breath. He didn't want to say, especially not to Will, but it would come out in the future, would it not? Hiding it would change nothing. "Eternal servitude to the goddess Calypso."

There was a moment's silence, and then Will was next to him, eyes wide in horror. "Tia Dalma is the goddess Calypso?"

James chuckled darkly. "You were always a lot smarter than anyone ever gave you credit for, Mr Turner."

Will stared at him in growing horror before he looked towards her. "How could you? Chloe will—!"

"She is the reason I did that," James responded softly. "When this is over, and she is… I will pay my price willingly." He closed his eyes. "And when I do I expect you to protect her when I cannot."

Will shook his head. "No. I do _not_ want this!" He turned to James, surprisingly angry. "You will be as bad as I was and break her heart _willingly_ this time!"

"It is for her _safety_ ," James pressed. "It is for her _freedom_."

"I thought the same thing!" Will snapped at him. "And I just went and made her miserable! I made decisions regarding her future without consulting her!"

James took a step back because he realized Will was right. But there was a difference between his situation and Will. "She is a slave to that woman, Will, and I need to be able to help her procure her own freedom. Someone like Davy Jones - if he killed her - she would be coming back."

Will stared at James in sudden understanding and felt reluctant respect filling him. He could finally understand why Chloe loved James Norrington. He was insufferably noble. "I will not stand for this."

James blinked in surprise. "I thought you would be more pleased with this outcome."

"Then you do not know me," Will responded with ire. "This is not a 'win' for me. Chloe loves us both. She _needs_ us both, especially now." It visibly hurt him to say that. "Do you know how much it would hurt her to know that you have condemned yourself to eternal servitude because of her?"

"I was hoping she would not have to know," James admitted. But considering that she now knew of the deal he knew that it was only time before she once more asked him the terms.

Will let out an angry sound. "She will not know because we are going to find a way to get you out of this contract! If I beat you it will be a _fair_ fight! Not because of something like this!" He leaned in and glared at James threateningly as he growled: "I am going to find a loophole to that contract and get you out if it, even if it is the last thing I do!"

James once more stared at Will in surprise, and suddenly understood why Chloe loved William Turner. He was insufferably noble.

Neither man noticed Tia Dalma watching from the shadows, arms folded over her chest, a smile growing on her face.

* * *

It had been hard to get her father to agree to stay behind, but Chloe had reminded him that both Lois and Giselle needed him to protect them while Chloe, James and Will were gone to get what Tia Dalma would need to resurrect Lois. It was that fatherly duty which had finally convinced him, and he had agreed that he needed to guard Lois' body, and make sure none of the pirates did anything to Giselle while Lucy wasn't here to protect her. He hadn't been happy though, had been terrified this would be the last time he'd see Chloe, that he'd lose all his daughters.

Chloe had needed some time to herself so she'd gone swimming. It was dark, and there were crocodiles in the water with her, but instead of fearing them, Chloe swam up to the largest and rested on top of its back. She rubbed the beast's head and allowed it to take her away, the flicks of its tail more powerful than any force her own legs could muster.

By the time the crocodile brought her back the sun was slowly returning to the sky. She surfaced to find James and Will leaning against a nearby tree, apparently waiting on her and talking amongst themselves.

James noticed her first. "How was your swim?"

"Fine, thank you." She glanced at Will and then at the crocodiles swimming contently around her, not exactly sure how to explain this to him.

"He knows," James surprised her by saying. "Tia Dalma told him."

Chloe's eyes widened. She absentmindedly stroked the snout of one of the crocodiles who'd nudged her hand with its head as her green eyes rested on Will. "She never gave me permission to tell you."

"James told me," Will surprised her, not only with his words, but the fact that he'd called James by his christian name and not by 'Mr Norrington'. His dark gaze went to the crocodiles in the water. "So… crocodiles like you."

She laughed and nodded. "Anything in the sea likes me."

"Not that she is _bragging_ or anything," James assured Will with a teasing glance in her direction.

Shaking her head, smile bright, Chloe emerged from the water and stood in front of James and Will. Despite it being very improper, neither looked away. She licked her lips as she drew closer, their combined gazes like a huge tidal wave rushing over her.

They'd be leaving in a couple of hours to start their little side adventure to get what was needed to bring Lois back, and for the first time, as Chloe noticed the ease and lack of hostility between James and Will, she felt her anxiety about being alone with them evaporate. She didn't know exactly what had happened while she was gone, but for the first time she felt hope.

* * *

 **The End of Dead Man's Chest.**


End file.
